MILWAUKEE — Are you ready for some football at Wrigley Field?
The Cubs and Northwestern University announced Friday the Wildcats will play host to Illinois on Nov. 20 in a Big Ten football game.
It's the first college football game at Wrigley since 1938, when DePaul played home games at the ballpark. It also will be the first football game of any kind at the Cubs' home park since the Chicago Bears last played an NFL game there in December 1970.
"Having Wrigley Field as the backdrop for a college football rivalry with such a rich history is exciting since the ballpark has gone nearly 40 years since last hosting a football game," Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement issued Friday.
The two schools and the Cubs held a news conference at Wrigley Field to announce the game. Tickets will be available through the Northwestern ticket office. In order to purchase a ticket for the Nov. 20 contest, fans must purchase season tickets for Northwestern's five home games at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill.
The field will run from the Cubs' dugout to the right-field bleachers. When the Chicago Bears called Wrigley home, the field ran from left field to the visitors' dugout.
Northwestern and Illinois have played at Wrigley before. On Oct. 27, 1923, the two schools squared off at what was then called Cubs Park in front of 32,000 fans. The Nov. 20 game will mark the 104th game between the Big Ten rivals; they first played in 1892.
Wrigley hosted football games from 1916-70, including roughly 370 NFL games. The primary tenants were the Bears, who called the ballpark home from 1921-70. Wrigley also hosted the Chicago Tigers in 1920 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1920 and 1931-39.
Besides Northwestern, DePaul and Illinois, other colleges to play at Wrigley Field include Loyola, which hosted Arkansas Tech in 1926 before playing DePaul a year later.
"To be certain, we are thrilled to be showcasing Northwestern football at Wrigley Field, one of the most storied sporting venues in the world," said Jim Phillips, Northwestern director of athletics and recreation.
"The true winner in this special game will be our student-athletes and fans," Phillips said. "We have every intention to make this year's annual rivalry game a spectacular and memorable event. We were all captivated by the Wrigley Field atmosphere during the NHL's Winter Classic [New Year's Day 2009], and we want to recreate that fantastic fan experience, this time with college football."