>> It's a new era for northwestern football as the team is enjoying a winning season in a brand-new Ryan field.

The Wildcats defeated Penn State in the stadiums debut game on Friday, 100 years to the day.

The last Northwestern Stadium opened the new Ryan Field is the most expensive college football stadium ever built at 870 million dollars.

features closer seats.

Classic Chicago food and brand new Wildcat wall, though it is its development hasn't been without pushback from some of the stadium's neighbors.

Joining us to talk more about what fans can expect is Pat Ryan Junior CEO of Ryan Sports Development.

Pat, thanks for joining us.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

So has mentioned plans for the stadium first unveiled to the public more than 4 years ago.

What was it like to finally welcome people to the stadium cut that ribbon on Friday?

And how did it go?

I mean, it was incredible if you know, you spent all this time, 5, 6, years planning dreaming of something that was great.

>> It's been a lot of excitement.

A lot of news about the stadium over the time.

But to see people live it, you know, we built this around people.

We thought of each of the groups that we use it to build around and to designed for people and then to see them use it was really magical.

And, you know, the funny thing is we have lot of people say I was expecting so much and then they say you want and totally undersold so much more fun than I expected.

And I think it's because, you know, there's just something for everyone >> why build an entirely new stadium?

What did you want to build a new stadium rather than fixing up the old one?

Well, first of all, I'd say is no longer the most expensive project in college football.

>> Nebraska's 2 billion dollar renovation, 40 billion and a half renovation.

I think unfortunately the Orion Field didn't have the physical structure left to preserve to look at a renovation spend 300 million dollars on something that frankly would not have lasted very long and really didn't offer much to the average fan or to the community was still have seven-day year kind of white elephant.

If you look at the idea of doing less expensive stadium, you really would have something that would have been probably a 3rd court.

I'll kind of quality stadium and a one in 20 down from there.

And so what we what we realized this 100 years to the day we opened as 100 year decisions.

How do you make 100 your decision?

You want something that's going to stand the test of time and the other pieces is at Northwestern with everything Northwestern does.

technology.

The performing arts, you know, economics, life sciences, everything is done at the highest order of excellence.

And so we really just bringing the football facility up to the kind of quality that the other facilities on the campus.

All right.

>> What are what are some of the features that help make this field special and make it stand out when we decide to some very different, you know, people get caught up on the idea.

It's the first NFL type stadium in college football really has to do with that.

The scale of the project and being new, not a lot of power.

2 football stadiums are new has been a new one 10 years.

We to this century before.

Right field.

But we did something very different purpose.

It's a larger building than the old building.

The ticket areas, 520,000 square feet larger.

Yet we have 12,000 less heat.

So that's one big change.

And then we did 3 things that we thought would stand the test of time.

The old stadium was built.

It was the only way to see again, there was a way to listen to on the radio.

There's no way to watch on television.

told make this back.

Then.

And now we live in a different world.

It's the hardest way to see a game high traffic crowds cost money.

You can watch northwestern game or any football game on your phone and a sports bar in your basement and a cause and any of these places.

And so, yes, the question, why did people go to games?

They go to games to share experiences, known ghostwood game alone to go friends that family to go classmates.

They go with the for a set of experiences which ultimately are the happy memories you have in your life.

And so what we did and what we focused on was how do you build a stadium around?

Those are the 3 big changes are you are closer to the field in every seat than any comparable football stadium in America.

In fact, it will be the best place to see a football game or concert or soccer match in the country of any stadium.

And the reason is we put the seat's right on top of the action in a way, but no one's seen since the Chicago Stadium.

The second is is that we built it not is sweets for the many for the few benches for the many we instead built.

That is something with premium for every single fan.

So comfortable seat.

Typical college football.

Steamy can 16 inches of a woman to put your behind on here you get a comfortable seat.

19 inches armrest.

Couple theirs protected by went from a canopy and then we built it really run experiences and we can talk more about it.

But there's day of experiences to get their festivals abound in the ability to really to make a day of it for those magical memories right to you all.

decided to make it.

You know, it's about more than just football.

There will be plans for concerts, festivals other events.

>> But some Evanston residents, they voice concerns about commercial zoning, increased traffic and noise that these additional events might bring turning their, you suburban community into something like a wrigleyville.

not at the stadium is open.

How will you all continue to work to make sure that those concerns are addressed for neighbors?

Look, couple things I'd say.

First of when you look at the city at the time, most the city of Evanston supported the stadium.

>> The controversy was really about concerts.

you know, the city council voted 6 to 2 for the stadium improvements really just the concert that was that was the Tiger vote >> I you know, I think ultimately, you know, we there was a lot of catastrophe icing at the time.

People imagining we have less seats than we had before.

The crowds will be smaller.

There's been a football staying there for 100 years.

Nobody lived there 100, you know, the people there, but there are.

it's been there.

So wasn't football games that worried anything, football games will be easier because the stadium and closes sound more.

The we have less traffic coming.

So I think it was more about concerts and I think it's easy to testifies things.

But the reality is is there were 6 concerts, as you know, from Stoney and on the golf course toward yards away.

Before we ever started It's not that it's all new.

I think there was a lot of town down when things are Northwestern about.

And I think there are people who are worried about that and the only way to deal with that is is to keep your promises.

We've been keeping our promises.

You know, the there were 221 million dollars for the women.

Already a business contract came out of this about economic empowerment.

I think 10 million dollars on workforce development for people in Evanston.

and we're working hard to be a good neighbor and to bring in events, others that there was also some criticism on Friday that the stadium didn't appear full Friday night's Or do you think that was?

Well, that's my folks.

We were sold out and we even looked at all the seats that appear on TV.

>> And the reason I say is my focus is we create too many fun things to do.

The fact is, is that our concourses, we didn't sell the standing room only.

So we had open standing room only and people went down there and they wanted to watch from there was like a giant sports bar on those and we had the creek clubs, the Chiefs, that 50 yard line people point out.

Those are the same people with clubs in the end zone see the end zone was full of those people.

So I mean, part of it was people So many fun things to do.

We really built this around experiences.

And in some cases, I think we did such a good job giving people great experiences that they wanted to watch the game from all the cool all right?

I think one of those experiences was on Friday in particular opening night was the F 16 flyover that many of us in Evanston.

>> Pat and I've got to ask you this before before we let you go, because there's other stadium news going on as well.

Your father, Pat Ryan senior, also part of the conversation on you and your family are minority owners in the Bears >> your father has also been part of the conversations about what's next for the Chicago Bears.

>> Any chance that we'll be keeping them in Chicago?

What can you say?

You know, all these questions are questions for George McCaskey.

Kevin Warren might get member of the board of directors and we are minority owners.

But people were really there to support the majority owner.

And to the extent that my dad can bring people together to ensure that there's productive conversation, he's there to be helpful, but we're there to support them.

majority owner, we've just an as a Bears fan.

Do you have feelings?

>> I have a lot but they start how well they're playing even without Caleb.

And that's my