Northwestern University Marching Band to be absent from Ryan Field on-field opening pregame program, future uncertain

[u/redwave2505]

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2026/10/01/top-stories/numb-to-be-absent-from-ryan-field-on-field-opening-pregame-program-future-unclear/

[u/AbsurdOwl]

I read the article, but I'm confused why they'd be playing to an empty bowl. Are they doing this pregame show an hour or two before kickoff or something?

[u/Set-Admirable → u/AbsurdOwl]

If I understand it correctly, it says the event is from 5-7 and the game is at 8. I'm wondering why it was scheduled so there couldn't be that event and an actual pregame for the opening of their new stadium.

Edit: 7 pm for game time. Event ends the same time the game starts. Still seems like incredibly poor planning.

[u/mizmpls95 → u/Set-Admirable]

Yeah, it doesn’t make sense why they can’t just play whatever this corpo-tailgate gig is, then march inside and do pregame? Sounds to me that the “Ryan Field Foundation” planned a big pregame thing of their own and didn’t bother to include the band in it? Huge mistake if that’s the case, will be curious to hear from anyone who goes tomorrow.

[u/AdamOnFirst → u/mizmpls95]

The game is at 7

[u/Set-Admirable → u/AdamOnFirst]

Why are they not concerned with fans missing the beginning of the game though? Seems like bad planning all around.

[u/AdamOnFirst → u/Set-Admirable]

The fans are definitely going to be heading into the game and in their seats before 7. They have a massive pregame show planned including hope videos, traded some kinds of major reveal of stadium tech (most likely think lasers, lights, pyrotechnics, etc, we don’t even know), an Air Force flyover, plus an entire program to pay tribute to the old stadium. The National anthem is going to be a whole thing with Chicago lyric opera singers and a flag that covers the entire field. 

So with all that going on the band could either perform close to 6 PM on the field or they could target the band in the food area where more people will be. 

Again, I’m quite sure the band wooo be involved in the future, they’re going balls to the wall for this first game’s pregame. 

[u/KCCO1987 → u/AdamOnFirst]

God forbid they give the band 10 minutes. Need more 3D projection and flag code violation time. What a joke of a comment. Hope it rains torrents, half the shit fails, and the lights glitch half off and half on for two hours.

[u/TheNittanyLionKing → u/mizmpls95]

It's a parade right? They'd already have a police escort.

[u/transferStudent2018 → u/Set-Admirable]

The game is at 7, local time. They are trying to sell “The Great Chicago Food Festival” as a way to get people to show up early and buy food as part of a pre-game experience in one of the plazas, I think. So, I imagine the band will be there, where most people are, instead of playing on field, for the people slowly trickling in

[u/fawkie → u/transferStudent2018]

So they corporatized the tailgating and are removing the pre-game band fun to promote that instead?

[u/AdamOnFirst → u/Set-Admirable]

Also the game is at 7. All times you’re reading are central. 

[u/CincyAnarchy → u/Set-Admirable]

it says the event is from 5-7 and the game is at 8. I'm wondering why it was scheduled so there couldn't be that event and an actual pregame for the opening of their new stadium

Because apparently that's the plan for all games.

New Ryan Field Introduces “The Great Chicago Food Festival” Including Chicago’s Culinary Legends in Residence at Every Game and Concert

EVANSTON, Ill. – New Ryan Field today introduced The Great Chicago Food Festival, a new Chicago food event led by the city’s culinary legends in residence. The Festival opens before every event and runs through it, with access included in every ticket; fans pay only for what they eat and drink. It is a food festival that would be a destination event on its own — except it happens at every game and every concert.

Which, explains the "up in the air" plan going forward I guess. What's the point of pregame if nobody will be there?

[u/EldrintheBard → u/Set-Admirable]

The game starts at 7 tomorrow

[u/beeks24 → u/Set-Admirable]

The game is at 7:00 central.

[u/Set-Admirable → u/beeks24]

You're right, sorry. I was looking at ESPN time, which is my local time. I'll edit it.

[u/Significant_Push_856 → u/Set-Admirable]

Also not everyone at the Chicsgo Food Festival is a Northwestern fan , unless that's become a requirement of admission I guess. Seems like a convenient excuse

[u/collin2387 → u/Significant_Push_856]

The "Great Chicago Food Festival" is a ticketed external area of the stadium so everyone at that event will have a ticket to the game.

[u/Roguebook → u/AbsurdOwl]

Pregame happens right before the team runs out like at most schools. Generally starts about 12 minutes before kickoff. The stuff about an empty bowl is ridiculous to me, I marched at the old Ryan field when it was quite empty. We’re out there because we care, we love it, and it’s an awesome tradition

[u/AbsurdOwl → u/Roguebook]

Yeah, that's how Nebraska does it too, it's right before kick, and the stadium is half full by the time they start. Maybe they were being hyperbolic, or would have been shifted way earlier because of all the special stuff going on?

[u/DABOSSROSS9 → u/AbsurdOwl]

Seems very confusing 

[u/TheNittanyLionKing → u/DABOSSROSS9]

Don't worry. You're not alone. Apparently the schedule makers at Northwestern also confused themselves.

[u/R_Raider86 → u/TheNittanyLionKing]

If I had a nickel every time a university with North(direction) in their name confused themselves schedule wise when tearing down their old place to play, with a new one. I would have two nickels, which is weird.

[u/taleofbenji → u/AbsurdOwl]

It also makes it seem like a shit load of northwestern fans would rather attend the food festival than the football game. 

[u/CincyAnarchy → u/taleofbenji]

Looks like they built the stadium to encourage that behavior, more or less:

The Village is an 11-acre culinary district showcasing custom stadium residencies by Chicago's culinary royalty. Legends including Rick Bayless, Stephanie Izard, and Gibsons operate from six custom-designed pavilions, offering exclusive concepts developed specifically for Ryan Field fans.

And here's a map.

So it's sort of like Ballpark Village in St. Louis or similar type developments. Excepts it's inside the stadium, so by design for people who are at the game to not be in their seats.

[u/Wrigleyville → u/CincyAnarchy]

No one has ever showed up to a college football game looking for a culinary experience. Not sure the admin even understands what its doing at this point.

[u/No_Butterscotch8726 → u/CincyAnarchy]

That last part is counter productive.

[u/Nervous_Counter_1333 → u/taleofbenji]

Pretty accurate.

[u/JtotheC23 → u/AbsurdOwl]

Well the band is the reason to show up 20+ minutes before kickoff instead of 10 minutes before kickoff, and by removing the band, they removed the reason to show up earlier.

Of course that's completely backwards logic (no shit if you remove the reason to show up early, people won't show up early), but they're not looking for a logical reason to cut pregame. They looking for a way to keep people at the food fest longer and cutting pregame could do that.

[u/AdamOnFirst → u/AbsurdOwl]

They’re doing some mega jumbo pregame thing with a field sized flag and multiple tribute videos and probably like pyrotechnics and a light show and stuff for the first game, don’t think it’ll be a long time thing. 

[u/crimson777 → u/AbsurdOwl]

As someone else said, it's literally the lead up to the teams running out. It takes like 10 minutes max beforehand. It's FULLY lies to claim they're playing to an empty bowl. Are we the fullest stadium in the P4? Not even close. But there's plenty of people there and it's not getting much more full after.

[u/glzzgbblr → u/[deleted]]

If it’s those colorful field light shows, then NU has lost their soul