Michigan football’s offense hasn’t been heading in a great direction, but it will have a chance to reset against Northwestern.
The Wolverines (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) will be playing the Northwestern Wildcats (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 15. Kickoff is scheduled for noon and the game will be televised on Fox.
And if you were wondering if “Wrigley Field” was a typo, it is not. These two teams will be playing at a baseball stadium.
To be fair, Wrigley Field hasn’t exclusively been a baseball stadium since its opening in 1914 (when it played host to the Chicago Whales of the Federal League, rather than the Chicago Cubs of the National League). It hosted various professional football teams from 1920-70, including the NFL’s Chicago Bears for nearly the entirety of that stretch.
But the “Friendly Confines” are best known as the home of MLB’s Cubs, who just wrapped up their 110th season at the stadium. The stadium has also undergone renovations over the last decade that have made the stadium more baseball-oriented, though that hasn’t stopped the Big Ten and NHL from hosting football and hockey games at the legendary venue.
Because of Wrigley’s odd dimensions, one unique rule used to apply to Big Ten football games, but that’s not the case, anymore. Here’s what you need to know.
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Saturday’s game will look like a regular Big Ten football game, but that wasn’t always the case for Wrigley Field football games.
A game between Northwestern and Illinois in 2010 caused a stir when the conference agreed to force both offenses to play towards the same end zone as a safety precaution. This was because of the unmovable brick wall behind the end zone on the right field side (covered by ivy during the summer) presenting a safety hazard.
Renovations made to the stadium have allowed for more space on the sidelines and better safety measures behind the end zones, so the rule was scrapped ahead of the 2021 game. Additionally, both teams will get their own sideline, which was not the case for the 2010 game.
Here’s how the field looked like for a game between Northwestern and Ohio State last season:
This won’t be the last game for Northwestern at Wrigley this season, however, with the Wildcats taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday, Nov. 22, to finish of their home schedule as the finishing touches are made on the new Ryan Field, which opens in 2026.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wrigley Field rules for Michigan football vs Northwestern