College football Week 12 straight-up picks
Before The Snap’s Week 12 picks include Clemson-Louisville, Oklahoma-Alabama, Iowa-USC, Utah-Baylor and Texas-Georgia.
College football is returning to Wrigley Field.
The home of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs will serve as the host site for the Northwestern football matchup against No. 17 Michigan (No. 18 in College Football Playoff) at “The Friendly Confines” at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, in Chicago.
For Northwestern, playing at Wrigley Field, located just 8.4 miles from its usual home stadium at Ryan Field, is not unusual. However, this could be a unique opportunity for the Wolverines as they aim to keep alive their chances at a Big Ten championship — and potential College Football Playoff — berth.
So why is such an important game being played at an iconic baseball stadium instead of the usual home for Ryan Field? Here’s what you need to know about Northwestern hosting Michigan at Wrigley Field for its Nov. 15 Big Ten matchup:
Northwestern vs Michigan location
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- Location: Chicago
Northwestern will play host to Michigan at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the home of the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field is the second-oldest MLB ballpark ― behind only Fenway Park ― and has a capacity of nearly 41,649.
The Wildcats have played five other home games at Martin Stadium, which has a rough capacity of 12,000 seats.
To accommodate a football game, the dugouts are removed, creating more space for the end zones. The locker rooms are located in the clubhouses. Northwestern will use the home Cubs clubhouse, while the Wolverines will take the visiting teams’ facilities.
Why is Northwestern playing Michigan at Wrigley Field?
Northwestern football needs a temporary home, as it has not been able to use its main stadium since the original Ryan Field was demolished in 2024. The Wildcats played their last home game at the site on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023: a 45-43 win over in-state rival Illinois.
The university is building a brand new $862 million stadium on the same site, which is slated to open in the fall of 2026.
Northwestern played the first five home games of the 2025 college season at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium near the campus in Evanston, Illinois, off of Lake Michigan. The Wildcats did the same last season.
The Wildcats will play two more games at Wrigley Field in 2025, with the first coming against Michigan this weekend on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Northwestern history at Wrigley Field
The Chicago Cubs used to share Wrigley Field with the Chicago Bears of the NFL from 1921 through 1970. The Bears moved to Soldier Field in 1971.
The Nov. 15 matchup for Northwestern will be its sixth time hosting a game at Wrigley Field. The Wildcats are 0-5 all-time at “The Friendly Confines.” The first game was played in 2010 against in-state rival Illinois.
- Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010: Illinois 48, Northwestern 27
- Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021: Purdue 32, Northwestern 13
- Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023: Iowa 10, Northwestern 7
- Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024: Ohio State 31, Northwestern 7
- Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024: Illinois 38, Northwestern 28
- Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025: Northwestern vs. Michigan
- Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025: Northwestern vs. Minnesota
