[82lsju]

Reading this thread I fail come away with anything but the simple fact that the nature of Stanford University is utterly incompatible with the present-day nature of the Football Industrial Complex. Square peg, meet round hole. Goldfish, meet bicycle.

I haven't heard that Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt have thrown in the towel yet.  It seems like they are counting on the House settlement to help level the playing field.  Northwestern is doubling down by building an $850M stadium.  If it works, it will generate a recruiting as well as a financial boost.

well the new Ryan field will have, wait for it, 35,000 seats, so I'm not thinking they are banking on large football crowds (the previous capacity was 47,000, and yes the previous stadium was a mess)

part of their positioning is

Once completed, it will not only host Northwestern football but also serve as a premier destination for national events, youth sports championships, and additional opportunities, creating an unparalleled community hub, truly "Chicago's Big Ten Stadium."

and if the Ryan family wants to spend their money on it more power to them

The project, with the majority of the funding provided by the Ryan Family without public investment, will set a new standard in college athletics, transforming the traditional stadium model into a year-round community asset. Scheduled to open in 2026, the new Ryan Field promises to bring a world class student athlete, fan and community experience to college sports.

https://nusports.com/news/2024/11/18/a-b...rthwestern

and yes I am indirectly connected to Northwestern via my great grandfather and grandfather but I am not involved with their athletic program

[82lsju]

Reading this thread I fail come away with anything but the simple fact that the nature of Stanford University is utterly incompatible with the present-day nature of the Football Industrial Complex. Square peg, meet round hole. Goldfish, meet bicycle.

I haven't heard that Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt have thrown in the towel yet.  It seems like they are counting on the House settlement to help level the playing field.  Northwestern is doubling down by building an $850M stadium.  If it works, it will generate a recruiting as well as a financial boost.

well the new Ryan field will have, wait for it, 35,000 seats, so I'm not thinking they are banking on large football crowds (the previous capacity was 47,000, and yes the previous stadium was a mess)

part of their positioning is

Once completed, it will not only host Northwestern football but also serve as a premier destination for national events, youth sports championships, and additional opportunities, creating an unparalleled community hub, truly "Chicago's Big Ten Stadium."

and if the Ryan family wants to spend their money on it more power to them

The project, with the majority of the funding provided by the Ryan Family without public investment, will set a new standard in college athletics, transforming the traditional stadium model into a year-round community asset. Scheduled to open in 2026, the new Ryan Field promises to bring a world class student athlete, fan and community experience to college sports.

https://nusports.com/news/2024/11/18/a-b...rthwestern

and yes I am indirectly connected to Northwestern via my great grandfather and grandfather but I am not involved with their athletic program

[Hurlburt88]

I think the stadium project was kicked off a few years ago before the current situation became quite this untenable, and also before Pat Fitzgerald was terminated.   I can only speculate on if they would kick it off today or not, but I do suspect that once they got started it became mentally and politically much tougher to back out.

[Hurlburt88]

I think the stadium project was kicked off a few years ago before the current situation became quite this untenable, and also before Pat Fitzgerald was terminated.   I can only speculate on if they would kick it off today or not, but I do suspect that once they got started it became mentally and politically much tougher to back out.

[82lsju]

I think the stadium project was kicked off a few years ago before the current situation became quite this untenable, and also before Pat Fitzgerald was terminated.   I can only speculate on if they would kick it off today or not, but I do suspect that once they got started it became mentally and politically much tougher to back out.

the Ryan's lead gift for the stadium (and several other areas) was announced in Sept 2021

The Patrick G. ’59, ’09 H and Shirley W. Ryan ’61, ’19 H (’97, ’00 P) Family has made the largest single gift in Northwestern University’s history, a $480 million gift that will accelerate breakthroughs in biomedical, economics and business research and enable the University to redevelop Ryan Field and construct a best-in-class venue for the Northwestern community.

https://magazine.northwestern.edu/impact...0community.

[82lsju]

I think the stadium project was kicked off a few years ago before the current situation became quite this untenable, and also before Pat Fitzgerald was terminated.   I can only speculate on if they would kick it off today or not, but I do suspect that once they got started it became mentally and politically much tougher to back out.

the Ryan's lead gift for the stadium (and several other areas) was announced in Sept 2021

The Patrick G. ’59, ’09 H and Shirley W. Ryan ’61, ’19 H (’97, ’00 P) Family has made the largest single gift in Northwestern University’s history, a $480 million gift that will accelerate breakthroughs in biomedical, economics and business research and enable the University to redevelop Ryan Field and construct a best-in-class venue for the Northwestern community.

https://magazine.northwestern.edu/impact...0community.

[French Rage]

Also noticed we play UNC near the end of the season when Bellicheck will have had time to get his bearings, and not early in the season when maybe just maybe he'll be a little rusty.

[French Rage]

Also noticed we play UNC near the end of the season when Bellicheck will have had time to get his bearings, and not early in the season when maybe just maybe he'll be a little rusty.