Northwestern/Illinois Football game at Wrigley?

[javy knows my name]

It's really gross-looking.

 

You can almost say they "Ryan Field'd" Wrigley. Northwestern will feel right at home.

 

 

What, are 40,000 Iowa fans going to be there?

Awesome

[Mark Priors Calves]

Apologies if this has been posted, but the Cubs are interested in hosting more football games, including the Big Ten championship game and/or a bowl game.

 

Ed Sherman at Crain's

[jersey cubs fan]

Apologies if this has been posted, but the Cubs are interested in hosting more football games, including the Big Ten championship game and/or a bowl game.

 

Ed Sherman at Crain's

 

I don't see any way that the Big Ten would agree to hold its game at such a small gimmicky football field, unless it was a one time thing at the outset to drum up even more interest. But even that wouldn't make a lot of sense for them.

[SouthSideRyan]

Apologies if this has been posted, but the Cubs are interested in hosting more football games, including the Big Ten championship game and/or a bowl game.

 

Ed Sherman at Crain's

 

I don't see any way that the Big Ten would agree to hold its game at such a small gimmicky football field, unless it was a one time thing at the outset to drum up even more interest. But even that wouldn't make a lot of sense for them.

 

The bowl could make sense if they figure out a better way to fit 120 yards on to the field, but yeah, you don't hold the Big Ten championship in front of 40,000 fans. (And you can bet they have no desire to hold it in inclement weather)

[UMFan83]

LOL I can see Ohio State ruining their National Title hopes due to losing the Big Ten title game because their receiver ran into the RF wall trying to grab the game winning TD.

 

I like the idea of a bowl. Wouldn't be the first bowl game played at a baseball-only park (SBC park and BOB come to mind). But how many bowls are played outdoors in northern cities? How rewarding would it be for a bowl team to have to play their extra game in 8 degree temps?

[jersey cubs fan]

I like the idea of a bowl. Wouldn't be the first bowl game played at a baseball-only park (SBC park and BOB come to mind). But how many bowls are played outdoors in northern cities? How rewarding would it be for a bowl team to have to play their extra game in 8 degree temps?

 

Probably more rewarding to go to Chicago during the holidays than Boise or some other locations.

[UMFan83]

I like the idea of a bowl. Wouldn't be the first bowl game played at a baseball-only park (SBC park and BOB come to mind). But how many bowls are played outdoors in northern cities? How rewarding would it be for a bowl team to have to play their extra game in 8 degree temps?

 

Probably more rewarding to go to Chicago during the holidays than Boise or some other locations.

 

Valid point. However, Chicago in the dead of winter is just brutal. The players would probably just stay in their hotels the entire time. Luckily December is typically not nearly as bad as far as dangerously low temps go than January and February.

[E.J.]

I like the idea of a bowl. Wouldn't be the first bowl game played at a baseball-only park (SBC park and BOB come to mind). But how many bowls are played outdoors in northern cities? How rewarding would it be for a bowl team to have to play their extra game in 8 degree temps?

 

Probably more rewarding to go to Chicago during the holidays than Boise or some other locations.

 

Valid point. However, Chicago in the dead of winter is just brutal. The players would probably just stay in their hotels the entire time. Luckily December is typically not nearly as bad as far as dangerously low temps go than January and February.

 

Yep. Not exactly a good time walking down Michigan Ave. when the temps are close to zero. I can't imagine playing a football game would be all that fun for the kids either.

[ZipDog]

In don't understand why they put the field from third baseline to right field rather than the other way like the Bears played.

[jersey cubs fan]

In don't understand why they put the field from third baseline to right field rather than the other way like the Bears played.

 

Because the stadium has changed since that time and it would not fit.

[Soul]

I like the idea of a bowl. Wouldn't be the first bowl game played at a baseball-only park (SBC park and BOB come to mind). But how many bowls are played outdoors in northern cities? How rewarding would it be for a bowl team to have to play their extra game in 8 degree temps?

 

Probably more rewarding to go to Chicago during the holidays than Boise or some other locations.

 

Valid point. However, Chicago in the dead of winter is just brutal. The players would probably just stay in their hotels the entire time. Luckily December is typically not nearly as bad as far as dangerously low temps go than January and February.

 

Yep. Not exactly a good time walking down Michigan Ave. when the temps are close to zero. I can't imagine playing a football game would be all that fun for the kids either.

 

This is why Big 10 schools don't complain about the fact that their bowl games are basically all played with them as the de facto road team.

 

Nobody wants to play outdoors in zero-degree weather when you can be running around in a t-shirt looking at women in bikinis. If we're talking about one of the domes, that's one thing -- but outdoors? I can't see it.

 

I certainly won't show up :)

[ZipDog]

In don't understand why they put the field from third baseline to right field rather than the other way like the Bears played.

 

Because the stadium has changed since that time and it would not fit.

 

The visitors dugout has not moved; and, the new seats behind home plate and the dugout seats haven't changed the dimensions of the field that much. I was thinking it was some sort of marketing reason.

 

Otherwise, it must be arbitrary.

 

I was wondering if anyone actualy knew the real reason. Look at the NU site layout of Wrigley. A football field would work either way.

[Garwilly]

In don't understand why they put the field from third baseline to right field rather than the other way like the Bears played.

 

Because the stadium has changed since that time and it would not fit.

 

The visitors dugout has not moved; and, the new seats behind home plate and the dugout seats haven't changed the dimensions of the field that much. I was thinking it was some sort of marketing reason.

 

Otherwise, it must be arbitrary.

 

I was wondering if anyone actualy knew the real reason. Look at the NU site layout of Wrigley. A football field would work either way.

 

A regulation football field never fit there before, and it wouldn't now. Jersey knew "the real reason", it won't fit.

[ZipDog]

So, the Bears played on a non-regulation field?

 

I used to sit in Section 131; and, the seats were in the end zone. Now, those would be about the 25 yard line.

[Garwilly]

So, the Bears played on a non-regulation field?

 

I used to sit in Section 131; and, the seats were in the end zone. Now, those would be about the 25 yard line.

 

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/blogs?blogID=business-of-sports&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3af5555513-c950-4657-a93a-80db16fdf4adPost%3adbd15dac-092e-4031-90b1-746e722104b2

 

Understand this wasn't just any end zone. It was, to put it mildy, physically unique. A football field is actually 120 yards long. However, if the Bears had followed that procedure, the east end of the south end zone would have ended two rows in the stands. To the west, the end zone was 10 yards, but it slowly drifted to seven yards at the east end due to a minor problem — the first base dugout. There was just one solution. When teams were matching toward "the house," they always ran and threw right.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrigley_Field#Football

 

In fact, the corner of the south end zone was literally in the visiting baseball team's dugout, which was filled with pads for safety, and required a special ground rule that sliced off that corner of the end zone. One corner of the north end line ran just inches short of the left field wall.

[ZipDog]

Thanks!

[ZipDog]

Call me cynical...or, please don't...but, marketing is everything.

 

With this layout of the football field, the Toyota sign is near midfield on the visitors' side. The former "Rooftop Pirates" are in the background of every other field goal and PAT; and the first base side grandstands are home team. That's great!

 

It is also "marketing."

 

Even though I will be watching my Longhorns (hopefully and finally) win a ballgame at the same time, I am recording the NU-Illinois game to watch later. VineLine had a beautiful centerfold of the hockey game at Wrigley; hopefully, this will happen with the college football game. I cannot assume this will happen, however, as VineLine has been contracted out and who knows what idiots from Cincy will do with Cubs stuff.

[SouthSideRyan]

Yeah, it'll probably be a centerfold of Brandon Phillips instead

[NCCubFan]

Yeah, it'll probably be a centerfold of Brandon Phillips instead

Or, to make Cub fans mad, a centerfold of Joey Votto and Dusty Baker.

[wekse]

Yeah, it'll probably be a centerfold of Brandon Phillips instead

Or, to make Cub fans mad, a centerfold of Joey Votto and Dusty Baker.

 

or it could just be brandon phillips.

[Jon]

I'm getting up at 2:45 to freeze my balls off waiting for GameDay to start. Fun times.

 

The amount of media attention this game is getting far, far exceeds what anyone at Northwestern could have hoped for. And not just nationally. The Chicago media is eating this up big time. I didn't expect anything close to this kind of coverage in Chicago.

 

Plus, NU said that they're making a little more money from this than the typical NU/Illinois game in Evanston due to ticket prices and the Allstate sponsorship.

[Jon]

And disaster just struck. Illinois is saying that only one end zone is going to be used...

[Butterscup1679666578]

@waddleandsilvy: CRAZY! Confirmed by Illinois' SID Kent Brown that the Big 10 will announce that they will only use the west endzone tmrw

 

@WaddleandSilvy Set up on east side (RF) endzone deemed dangerous. Ball will always be respotted and offenses move east to west.

 

 

lol

[jersey cubs fan]

wild and wacky stuff. Are you not allowed to return picks for TD?

[Jon]

wild and wacky stuff. Are you not allowed to return picks for TD?

No, that's fine. There's plenty of room for that. But the ball is going to be respotted after every change of possession.

 

This actually puts Illinois at a big disadvantage unless they work something out. Illinois had the outfield half of the sideline with Northwestern getting the infield half, so Illinois will be far away from the red zone.

 

My suspicion is that this was Illinois' demand, though they did sign off on it, since today is their practice at Wrigley.

 

Edit: Nevermind, it sounds like they'll switch halves of the sideline at halftime. Things were ironed out this morning at the Big Ten offices and they received a waiver from the NCAA for these rule changes.