After Village of Wilmette officials objected to the Chicago Stars women’s soccer team’s proposal to play 15 to 17 games at Northwestern University’s under-construction Ryan Field in Evanston, the Stars announced Wednesday that the team no longer plans to play at the rebuilt stadium.
In a March 18 news release, team officials expressed their desire to work with the community. They did not, however, absolutely rule out a bid in future years to play at Ryan Field, which is expected to open this October.
The Chicago Stars, a member of the National Women’s Soccer League, said in the news release that after “thoughtful consideration with Northwestern University,” the team would no longer be moving forward with their application to the City of Evanston for a unique use permit to play at Ryan Field, which was proposed to begin in 2027.
A team spokesperson for the Stars said that this does not rule out the possibility of applying to play at Ryan Field, located at 1501 Central St., in the future.
The Stars plan to play the entirety of their 2026 season, which runs from March until November, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, which sits near the lakefront on Northwestern’s Evanston campus.
Stars officials said the decision was made in part out of consideration for Northwestern’s neighboring communities, which include the university’s home city of Evanston and the Village of Wilmette. Wilmette homes sit just to the north of the stadium campus.
“Our goal has always been one of unity—galvanizing the Evanston community in support of the club, our athletes, and the advancement of equity for women’s sports,” the Stars’ statement read.
“We believe that this is what Evanston residents seek as well, but have also heard a call for more dialogue and understanding about who we are and the impact our presence will have on the community.”
In January, the Stars filed a permit application with the City of Evanston seeking permission to play between 15 to 17 home matches per year at Ryan Field over a five-year period beginning in 2027.
According to city documents, the unique permit request also included an option to extend the contract after a third year.
In the months following the application announcement, several neighborhood groups released statements opposing the proposal, including the Most Livable City Association (MLCA) and the Village of Wilmette.
At a Feb. 24 Wilmette Village Board meeting, Village President Senta Plunkett rebuked the Stars proposal in a sharply-worded letter addressed to Evanston officials.
“Northwestern has asked a lot from its neighbors in Wilmette and Evanston,” Plunkett said at the meeting. “To ask for more while the extent of the adverse impacts of the already approved events remains unknown is unfortunate timing.”
Wilmette previously objected to construction of the new stadium back in 2023 prior to the Evanston City Council’s approval of the site plan build in November 2023.
Both Evanston and Wilmette signed off on an intergovernmental agreement in February 2024 over non-football related events hosted at the stadium. Under the agreement, the neighboring communities would allow up to six additional concerts at the venue, a decision largely opposed by residents.
Wilmette officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Stars’ March 18 announcement.
The newly-rebuilt Ryan Field will serve as the primary home for Northwestern’s Big Ten football team, in addition to hosting six annual outdoor concerts, along with additional athletic and community events. The stadium has an expected capacity of 35,000.
“We appreciate the thoughtful approach the Stars have taken and their commitment to engaging with the Evanston community,” said Jon Yates, vice president for Global Marketing and Communications at Northwestern University in an email to the Pioneer Press.
“In response to feedback from neighbors about phasing in the currently approved levels of programming, Northwestern has voluntarily reduced the number of community event days in the Ryan Field plazas by 15 days during the stadium’s first year of operation.”
Evanston officials said in a statement that the city is “looking forward” to the Stars 2026 season at Martin Field, but did not comment beyond that.
The Chicago Stars will kick off their inaugural season in Evanston with a home game at Northwestern’s Martin Stadium on March 22. The team has not yet announced where they expect to play their 2027 season, leaving the door open for a future application.
Ryan Field’s first scheduled event is set for Oct. 2, with Northwestern’s football team squaring off against Penn State.
