Northwestern is looking to build a new stadium in Evanston, significantly upgrading the football facility often noted as among the worst in the Big Ten. Should the $800 million renovations to Ryan Field take place, the stadium would then match the prestige of the Wildcats’ state-of-the-art lakeside facility.
But many in the Chicago suburb aren’t too happy about it.
The Wall Street Journal chronicled how Evanston residents have reacted to the proposals, and some are more fond of the upgrades than others. One man who is in favor of the Ryan Field enhancements spoke to the NYC paper about the behavior of traveling fans of other teams. With Northwestern not having the same fervent following as some of its Big Ten brethren, oftentimes, fans of other schools invade the stadium, which has led to some interesting interactions. Said man, who owns a hot dog stand outside of Ryan Field, had some interesting descriptions of different fan bases who venture to the Big Ten West locale.
Mr. Starkman, who is 56, said complaints about fans urinating on lawns and bushes after games are exaggerated and happen only when Northwestern hosts Ohio State.
Wisconsin fans party very hard but are “nice and respectful,” he said; Michigan State fans are “brilliant, lots of doctors and judges”; Michigan supporters are “ruffians” but generally well behaved; Iowa’s are the friendliest in the Big Ten, and Nebraska’s fans are the most likely to arrive in pickups.
“Ohio State fans are the only problem,” Mr. Starkman said. “They have a monster following, and they think the world is their bathroom.”
While the categorization of Michigan football fans as ‘ruffians’ is interesting — especially considering the stigma of Wolverines’ following being of the ‘wine and cheese’ variety — you cannot beat his depiction of the self-described ‘Buckeye Nation.’ Yes, Ohio State fans travel very well, and any Michigan fan who’s traveled to Columbus or even attended The Game in Ann Arbor can attest that they’re not particularly hospitable to fans of other teams.
At least we’re learning more of the disdain of OSU from other fan bases.
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