Northwestern Scores Dramatic First Wrigley Field Win in Final Home Game Before New Stadium Opens

The Wildcats played a pair of home games at the Friendly Confines in 2025, ahead of the opening of new Ryan Field next season.

Northwestern landed the first win at Wrigley Field, which has served as a temporary home for the program over the last two seasons, against Minnesota Saturday. / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

With a new, state of the art version of Ryan Field under construction in Evanston, Ill., Northwestern football has split its home games between temporary accommodations over the last two seasons.

The first five home games of each of the last two seasons were played at the temporary Martin Stadium, a small structure on the shores of Lake Michigan that drew positive reviews for its unique atmosphere. The final two games of each season have taken place at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.

Northwestern has played a number of games at Wrigley dating back to 2010, when it was used as a football field for the first time in 40 years, but had awful luck at the Friendly Confines ... until Saturday against Minnesota.

The Wildcats went down 28–13 to the Golden Gophers early in the third quarter, but battled back, scoring touchdowns on three straight drives of 70-plus yards before hitting a 33-yard go-ahead field goal to take a 38–35 lead. The kick capped a drive that lasted 14 plays and took 7:27 off the fourth quarter clock, leaving Minnesota with just 45 seconds remaining in the game.

That was almost enough time for the Gophers. After a solid return by Koi Perich, quarterback Drake Lindsey found Javon Tracey for 30 yards, putting Minnesota in field goal range. Four plays later, Brady Denaburg attempted a game-tying 40-yard kick but missed to seal Northwestern’s win.

THE FIELD GOAL IS NO GOOD AND @NUFBFamily GETS A WIN AT WRIGLEY 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/NYEG5TPoAH

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 22, 2025

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Saturday’s win is Northwestern’s first at Wrigley Field

While Wrigley has served as an occasional home field for the Wildcats, they had not fared very well there over the years.

Northwestern first played at Wrigley before it even had its famous, modern name, falling to Illinois at Cubs Park in 1923. Wrigley Field would go on to serve as home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears and Cardinals (who would later move to St. Louis and finally Arizona), as well as DePaul’s football program until it was disbanded in 1938.

A 2010 game between the Wildcats and Fighting Illini was the first college game played at the park since DePaul vacated the venue, and the first football game since 1970, after the Bears moved to Soldier Field full-time in ‘71.

Full list of Northwestern’s football games at Wrigley:

Date	Opponent	Result/Score
Oct. 27, 1923	Illinois	L 29–0
Nov. 20, 2010	Illinois	L 48–27
Nov. 20, 2021	Purdue	L 32–14
Nov. 4, 2023	Iowa	L 10–7
Nov. 16, 2024	Ohio State	L 31–7
Nov. 30, 2024	Illinois	L 38–28
Nov. 15, 2025	Michigan	L 24–22
Nov. 22, 2025	Minnesota	W 38–35

With a brand new stadium set to open next year, it is fairly unlikely that Northwestern will be moving home games in the near future, but in their last opportunity the Wildcats finally secured a win in Wrigleyville.

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