Northwestern Softball Moves 2026 Home Games to Iconic Ballpark Amid Stadium Renovation
The Northwestern Wildcats are temporarily moving their home games for the 2026 season due to ongoing construction at Kip & Sara Kirkpatrick Stadium.
Northwestern will call The Ballpark at Rosemont home for 12 Big Ten conference games this spring. The venue, which is located inside the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illi., is considered to be one of the more iconic softball stadiums in the game.
The Wildcats will host four three-game series in Rosemont as follows:
- March 26–28: vs. Oregon
- April 3–5: vs. Michigan
- April 17–19: vs. Michigan State
- May 1–3: vs. Minnesota
According to a university press release, tickets for home games in Rosemont will be sold on a single-game basis. More information about on-sale dates and pricing will be announced at a later date.
The remainder of the Wildcats' 2026 schedule is also expected to be released later this week.
The Ballpark at Rosemont currently serves as home to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and the Big East Tournament.
Construction on campus is expected to be completed by this summer and has been underway since September 2025.
Once Kilpatrick Stadium is completed, it will become one of the Big Ten's elite softball stadiums featuring new dugouts, a full locker room and lounge with a clubhouse connected to the home dugout, brand new sports medicine facilities, a new seating bowl and concourse with chairback seating, premium seating options, upgraded restrooms, an expansive press box to support full television and radio coverage, a new main entrance with courtyard space for tailgating and special events, and improved ADA accessibility throughout the facility.
Lead Gift Launches Stadium Project
A $5 million gift from Northwestern Trustee and former student-athlete Harreld N. "Kip" Kirkpatrick III and his wife, Sara Kirkpatrick, is what launched the massive rebuild.
"We are deeply grateful for Kip and Sara's incredible dedication and generosity to many areas across the University," Northwestern President Michael Schill said in a March press release. "One of Northwestern's stated priorities is to enhance the student-athlete experience. With this new gift, the Kirkpatricks are making a significant impact on Northwestern softball for years to come and helping ensure that the team's facilities match the distinction of the overall program."
The playing field within the stadium will retain the name Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
"The transformation of our stadium will have a tremendous impact, creating an environment for our student-athletes and fans that will complement the championship play of our program," head coach Kate Drohan stated in the same release. "As a former student-athlete at Northwestern, Kip understands the amazing life lessons learned on our campus, especially through sports. This gift is a commitment to the standard of excellence here at Northwestern, ensuring that our student-athletes can train and compete in a state-of-the-art facility.
"On behalf of the entire Northwestern softball family — especially our alumni and current and future student-athletes — we sincerely thank Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick for their belief in our program."
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-1d7db99dccc9abef7b9378f016b22b68.webp "Maren Angus-Coombs")
Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.