Northwestern New Ryan Field Bobblehead Unveiled

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition Northwestern Wildcats Willie the Wildcat New Ryan Field Bobblehead commemorating the opening of New Ryan Field. The bobblehead features Northwestern’s mascot standing in a replica of new Ryan Field. The bobblehead is being released in celebration of the opening of Ryan Field on Friday night when the Wildcats host the Penn State Nittany Lions at 7pm in a game that will be nationally televised on Fox. The special edition bobblehead is being produced exclusively by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of Northwestern University.

Standing in the middle of a replica of New Ryan Field, the Willie the Wildcat bobblehead is giving the No. 1 sign while wearing a Northwestern football jersey. The front and top of the stadium base reads “RYAN FIELD.” Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to 2,026, are they are currently available exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in February, cost $40 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Built at the site of the former Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois, New Ryan Field is slated to open on Friday, October 2nd when Northwestern hosts Penn State in a Big Ten Conference matchup. Called “the first NFL-type stadium in college football,” the venue will host its first event on Friday. Demolition of old Ryan Field began on January 29th, 2024, after confirmation that a new, $850 million stadium would replace the aging one.

The stadium opened in 1926 as Dyche Stadium, named for William Dyche (Class of 1882), Evanston mayor from 1895 to 1899 and overseer of the building project. In 1996-97, the stadium underwent significant reconstruction which featured a redesign. Opened in the fall of 1997, the new stadium was named Ryan Field in honor of 1959 Northwestern graduate Patrick G. Ryan, founder of AON Corporation and longtime chairman of the Northwestern Board of Trustees. In over 30 years as a trustee, Ryan was a champion of Northwestern’s athletic resurgence. He led the 1982 Athletic Facilities Campaign to upgrade Northwestern’s intercollegiate athletic facilities, and he also played a major role in recruiting and supporting many of the outstanding coaches responsible for Northwestern’s athletic revival.

Before the stadium’s demolition in 2024, Ryan Field was the only FBS stadium without permanent lighting, and its final seating capacity was 47,130. New Ryan Field will seat approximately 35,000 fans. The design prioritizes the fan experience with expanded gathering spaces, a steep European-inspired student section and a canopy that covers every seat. Northwestern touted the new venue as offering a “year-round community asset” for both the university and the city of Evanston that in addition to football games would be the site of youth sports events, holiday festivals, student activities, and concerts.

“As a proud Northwestern alum, I’m especially excited to unveil this bobblehead of Willie the Wildcat celebrating the opening of New Ryan Field,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Northwestern fans have plenty to be excited about with this year-round asset for the community and this bobblehead will be the perfect way for fans, alumni, students, faculty, and staff to commemorate New Ryan Field!”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.