Wrigley Field Football: Why This Could Be the Coolest Sports Event Ever
Wrigley Field football!
Yeah, you read that right.
The home of the Chicago Cubs will become the temporary home of the Northwestern and Illinois college football teams.
And by temporary I mean that the Wildcats and the Fighting Illini will clash at Wrigley Field in the inaugural Allstate Wrigleyville Classic on Saturday.
Forget hosting the NHL Winter Classic, some boy band concert or a Cubs team that will break the heart of thousands of Chicagoans.
Wrigley Field is all about college football.
Let's take a look at why having one of sport's biggest landmarks host a mediocre Big Ten football game could still be the coolest sports event ever.
10. The First Football Game in 40 Years
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The last time any type of football was played in Wrigley Field, people listened to disco and bell-bottoms were a popular fashion choice.
This will be the first game on the gridiron in Wrigley Field since 1970, which is about 18 years before I was even a thought.
The Chicago Bears played 370 games there before relocating to Soldier Field in 1971.
But perhaps the best thing about the Northwestern-Illinois game is that the people of Illinois are guaranteed to see a winner inside Wrigley for once.
Come on, you knew I couldn't resist.
9. The First College Football Game Since the 1930s
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The last time that sports fans witnessed a college football game at Wrigley Field was in 1938.
It was an epic clash between St. Louis and DePaul, two universities that no longer have football programs.
OK, so it wasn't epic.
Anyway,the Northwestern-Illinois game will be the first time that the two teams have met at Wrigley since 1923, making it official that these two teams have played more meaningful games inside this stadium than the Cubs have in the last 100 years.
My apologies to all Cubs fans once again. It's just too easy.
8. It's a Better Experience Than That "Other" Game
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Northwestern and Illinois won't be the only two schools playing inside a baseball stadium this weekend.
Army will play against Notre Dame inside Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.
But that game doesn't have the interesting stadium setup (more on that later) or the intrigue that a game between two state schools like Northwestern and Illinois will provide.
This will be the first time in a while that a fall game at Wrigley Field means more than one at Yankee Stadium.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. The Goalposts
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The goalposts will be in a very unique position for Saturday's game.
One will be set up on the right field warning track while the other is positioned just in front of the home dugout.
This is different from the standard left field to home plate layout used by the Bears in the 1960s.
So I'm fully expecting Kosuke Fukudome to run on the field and take a kickoff to the house.
At the very least I gotta see Lou Piniella watching the game from the third base dugout.
6. Or Lack Thereof
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Anyone notice something missing from that picture?
Um, yeah.
Back in the day there used to be goal posts at the goal line, but this game will feature a bit of an oddity in the east end zone.
The goal post will be mounted on the right field wall because of a lack of space.
See, college football can be creative.
Now we just have to see if they can come up with something better than the BCS.
5. The Sidelines
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I'm not sure how many people reading this have played indoor soccer, but that's the closest thing I can compare this field to.
Either that or hockey, I guess.
As you can see, there's not much breathing room between the sidelines and the brick wall (though its thankfully got some extra padding for the game).
So let's hope that we don't see a defender go all Mighty Ducks on anyone and drill them into the wall.
I have a feeling that would be kinda painful.
4. The Inaugural Game
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You always remember your first...or so I've been told.
Saturday's matchup will in fact be the first ever Allstate Wrigleyville Classic, which should certainly provide all players involved with a nice story for their grandkids 30 or 40 years from now.
Plus, who doesn't enjoy being the first to do something?
I know it's not quite like, say, being the first person to land on the moon or to dougie as a touchdown celebration, but it's still pretty damn cool.
3. Only One End Zone
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Don't be confused if you're watching the game this Saturday and the teams only seem to be scoring in one end zone.
The Big Ten has basically been forced to take a page out of the backyard football playbook for the game between the Wildcats and the Fighting Illini.
Whatever team is on offense will always be going toward the end zone near the third base dugout.
Why? On to the next slide...
2. Only Six Inches To Spare
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Yeah, that's really how much space is between the iconic Sheffield Avenue wall and the east end zone.
I'd guess it's about six inches away, if that.
Because of that tight space—and of course, the very good chance of injury that comes along with it—the ball will be repositioned on every series so that offenses will face the west end zone.
The catch? Interceptions and punt returns can be scored in the "end zone of doom."
After all, this isn't TiVo. They can't stop the game mid-play.
And I, for one, am holding out hope that we see a pick or punt return TD just to see if there as any trepidation on the part of the players.
I know it's not just me, right?
1. Fans Outside the Stadium
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There are always fans outside the stadium during college football games.
But I'm not talking about tailgating frat boys or 18-year-old sorority freshmen who passed out because they drank three Jell-O shots.
I'm talking about the Illinois fans who'll be sitting on the famous Cubs rooftops come gameday.
Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips told Sports Illustrated that there will be some Fighting Illini fans watching Saturday's game from outside the stadium.
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't know of any other stadium in the country where that's possible.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
