Teams in discussion with Cubs for game
Associated Press
CHICAGO -- Illinois and Northwestern are talking about moving their annual Big Ten football game to Wrigley Field.
Northwestern spokesman Mike Wolf says the schools have talked several times with the Chicago Cubs, most recently last weekend.
Wolf says the schools have a lot of details to work out, among them the financial arrangements and logistics of turning Wrigley's surface into a football field. But Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and Illinois' Ron Zook like the idea.
"It might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young men," Fitzgerald said. "Do I want to leave Ryan Field? No. No way. I'm a huge Blackhawks fan, and to see what the Winter Classic did, to turn a regular-season game into a bowl game would be an unbelievable opportunity for our young men and our fans."
The Blackhawks played Detroit in the Winter Classic on New Year's Day, but the old ballpark has a long football history. The Chicago Bears called Wrigley home through 1970.
Wolf says the soonest a game could be played there would be late in the 2010 season.
With football season quickly approaching I thought it would be a good idea to check in on my new second favorite team Northwestern. It seems the Cats are trying to schedule a game at Wrigley Field and the Illini look like the most likely opponents.
I'm super jazzed about it by the way. When I read the old accounts of football being played at Yankee Stadium or the Polo Grounds I start to think I must have really missed out. Plus, baseball stadiums are the most historic and cool aesthetically. Its just unfortunate for me that I hate baseball. So this seems like I'd get the best of both worlds. Count me in for 2010. I'm going to that game.
Baseball hates you too Kyle. As long as the Cubbies get a cut of the proceeds, I'm ok with a football game at Wrigley. Last fall they re-sodded the entire field and in the process dug up the old goal post base from when the Bears used to play there.
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