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Wisconsin Football: Badgers to Play Northwestern at Wrigley Field in 2020

By Taylor Laabs

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 20: A general view looking east toward the end zone that can not be used due to player safetly concerns as the Northwestern Wildcats take on the Illinois Fighting Illini during a game played at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois defeated Northwestern 48-27. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 20: A general view looking east toward the end zone that can not be used due to player safetly concerns as the Northwestern Wildcats take on the Illinois Fighting Illini during a game played at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois defeated Northwestern 48-27. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin football will play a game at Wrigley Field in 2020 against the Northwestern Wildcats.

The 2020 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for Wisconsin football fans looking to watch their team play in historic venues. The Chicago Tribune today reported that the Badgers’ favorite Evanston-based bogey team, Northwestern, will move their 2020 home game against the Badgers from the secluded suburbs to the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field. This adds to the Badgers’ current 2020 non-conference commitment with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish happening at historic Lambeau Field on October 3rd, 2020.

According to the Tribune, the Wrigley Field matchup between Northwestern and Wisconsin will take place on November 7th, 2020. The timing makes sense knowing Wrigley might be reserved through October due to Cubs playoff baseball. The Tribune also notes the strategy behind hosting the Badgers at such a high-profile venue is two-fold: it eliminates any potential marketing boost for in-state rival Illinois and also gives ESPN an appealing location to host their massive College Gameday program, which would be a huge boost of exposure for Northwestern. Per the Tribune, Northwestern’s last game at Wrigley in 2010, dubbed ‘The Wrigleyville Classic” hosted College Gameday and a packed house of over 40,000 fans, so it’s safe to assume that the next iteration of the series could yield an even larger return.

As a Badger fan based in Chicago, I am over the moon about this. I initially learned of the news when a fellow Badger excitedly shared the news in our Chicago groupchat, and I have a feeling the news will be positively received by the roughly 20,000+ Badger alumni living in the Windy City as well. Heading back to Madison for a football weekend is always a fun experience, but being able to waltz down Clark St. and see Sluggers filled with Badger red will be a really unique experience that I can’t wait to witness first-hand. With another non-conference game against Notre Dame, the team with another huge Chicago alumni base, happening at Soldier Field in 2021, I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with the work of Alvarez’s team to elevate the Badgers’ profile in Chicago and beyond.

Next: Top 10 Wisconsin games since 2010

The Tribune says that a formal press conference announcing the news is coming next Tuesday. I’ll definitely tune in.

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