Ohio State could play a football game at Wrigley Field this fall.
Rivals.com reported Wednesday that Northwestern plans to host Ohio State at the home of the Chicago Cubs on Nov. 16.
An Ohio State spokesman said the school had nothing to add but confirmed they do not know where the game will be played at this time.
That is because demolition of Ryan Field, the home of the Wildcats since 1926, began earlier this month, and its replacement won’t be ready until 2026.
“We are excited to begin the work to create a best-in-class experience for our fans and student-athletes and offer new event opportunities for local non-profits and community organizations,” Northwestern vice president of operations and COO Luke Figora said in a news release. “This is an exciting but complex project, and we are committed to being as communicative as possible with our neighbors throughout.”
Wrigley Field has been the home of the Cubs since 1916 and is less than 10 miles south of the Northwestern Campus.
Northwestern has played three games there since 2010, including a 10-7 loss to Iowa last November.
Other options for the game include Soldier Field, the home of the NFL’s Bears, SeatGeek Stadium, a soccer facility in the suburbs south of Chicago, or Guaranteed Rate Field, the home of the White Sox on the South Side of the city.
Per the Rivals report, plans “are pretty much set” for the Wildcats to host Ohio State at Wrigley Field and for Northwestern to play Indiana at SeatGeek on Oct. 5.
The status of Northwestern’s home opener against the Miami RedHawks is also in question, perhaps more so than the visit from the Buckeyes.
Miami is set to open the season at Northwestern on Aug. 31, but that might not end up being the date because of conflicts at Soldier Field and SeatGeek Stadium.
The White Sox have a home series that weekend, and though Wrigley would be available, converting it for football then back to baseball isn’t considered optimal.
One option could be playing at Soldier Field on Sept. 1.
Soldier Field is the largest of the potential venues with a capacity of about 61,000, but the dates of the Bears home games won’t be determined until spring.
Wrigley holds about 41,000 for baseball while Guaranteed Rate holds just under 41,000 and SeatGeek holds about 20,000.
A Miami University spokesperson said the school is “awaiting a final decision from Northwestern” at this time.
The Rivals report indicated playing any games at the home of the White Sox is not likely because Northwestern already has a scheduling agreement with the Cubs.
