New Trier vs. Evanston High School Football Rivalry Sells More Than 19,000 Tickets for Ryan Field Showdown

Demand for Friday's historic Illinois rivalry game at Northwestern's rebuilt stadium has exceeded expectations, prompting officials to release additional seating.

New Ryan Field at Northwestern University will host the Evanston vs. New Tier rivalry game on Friday night. More than 19,000 tickets were sold as of Monday, prompting officials to make even more seats available. | @cfbcampustour

More than 19,000 tickets had been sold by Monday for Friday's high school football showdown between New Trier and Evanston at Northwestern's rebuilt Ryan Field, far exceeding expectations and prompting officials to make additional seating available.

What began as a chance to bring one of Illinois' oldest high school football rivalries to a major college stadium has turned into an event with ticket demand rarely associated with a regular-season high school game.

Ticket Demand Surprises School Officials

The surge has surprised school officials and forced changes to how the remaining tickets are being distributed.

The additional tickets were to go on sale publicly through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. Tuesday, rather than continuing to divide the inventory between the two schools.

The original plan was to split the 100 level sections, splitting seats down the middle like a standard high school game, with New Trier and Evanston fans behind each respective sideline. After those tickets sold out, the upper bowl was added on Tuesday morning. With tickets still divided between the schools. The stadium’s announcement said that process slowed the release of additional tickets, prompting officials to make the remaining inventory available to the public as Friday’s game approaches.

“Everyone was caught a little by surprise (by the demand). We knew there would be interest, but this is significant,” New Trier athletic director Augie Fontanetta told The Record North Shore.

Fontanetta later added, “I am shocked at the number (of tickets sold) right now. It’s an awesome problem to have. Everybody has been working together to solve the issues, and it’s been fun.”

A Rivalry Dating Back to 1913

The response reflects the importance of the rivalry to both communities, as well as the excitement surrounding Northwestern’s rebuilt stadium, opened October 2nd of this year. The schools’ annual football meeting dates to 1913, bringing more than a century of history to Friday’s game. Evanston leads the series with a record of 57-54-6. With over 20,000 fans coming in expect the rivalry to be bigger than ever, creating one of the more significant games of their history.

New Trier (7-1) enters the game with a stronger postseason résumé than Evanston (5-3), but both teams have something to gain from a victory in their regular-season finale. The result could affect their playoff positioning when the Illinois High School Association announces its postseason brackets.

Big Ten Recruits Take the Field at Ryan Field

For Evanston defensive back Justin Johnson and New Trier quarterback Jackie Ryder, Friday will offer a chance to compete in a Big Ten stadium before beginning their college careers.

For the two communities, the game represents another chapter in a rivalry that began in 1913.

And with more than 19,000 tickets already sold, the first high school football game at Northwestern's rebuilt Ryan Field is shaping up to be anything but an ordinary Friday night.