Friday, October 27, 2023  |   View in browser

Ryan Field

The two ordinances related to Northwestern’s Ryan Field proposal will appear for introduction on Mon., Oct. 30, at 5:30 p.m. as special orders of business, serving as the sole substantive items on the agenda of a special City Council meeting.

I have been pretty clear what my position is on this proposal since March. Without SIGNIFICANT, guaranteed annual financial benefits to the City of Evanston for the lifetime of the stadium, Northwestern University’s request for concerts at Ryan Field is not worthy of consideration. What are SIGNIFICANT guaranteed financial benefits? That is to be determined, but I didn’t put that in bold, italics, and capitalized font by accident. Northwestern has not even come close. 

Here are some of my unanswered questions. I submitted these questions to Northwestern’s Athletic Director and to its Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations and have not gotten answers:

September 20, 2023

Mr. Gragg and Mr. Davis,

I hope that this email finds you both well. As I analyze Northwestern's proposal to replace Ryan Field, in anticipation of being tasked with casting a vote in favor or against on behalf of my constituents, there is additional information that I will be requesting. One such request is below:

It has been reported that UTEP was paid a guaranteed $1.2 million for the September 9 game. My understanding is that these types of arrangements are standard practice in college football.

Northwestern has taken the position that "Since a facility like this cannot be financially viable on just seven football games, the University is considering hosting a limited number of concerts each year." 

In order for the Evanston City Council to properly evaluate the veracity of this statement, could you please provide the amounts of all guaranteed payments to home opponents for the 2023 season? Any similar information on past seasons or other factors that you feel would properly contextualize these payments (conference affiliation, FBS/FCS status, anticipated number of traveling fans, other game day revenue, etc.) would be welcome as well.

Thank you in advance for your consideration. I understand that you are occupied with other tasks and this information may take a little time to be compiled. Please let me know when I can expect a response to this request.

Cordially,

Tom Suffredin

September 30, 2023

Mr. Davis and Mr. Gragg,

While I am still awaiting replies to my previous questions, please add this one to the list:

What are the game day and start times contemplated by the current Big Ten media rights deal? Games can be Friday night, Saturday early/late/night? Are there other days and times contemplated? Thursday games? MAC style Tuesday/Wednesdays? Please advise what all the possibilities are and the length of any arrangement that locks that in as well as what the timelines are for shifting kickoff times. For example, how long before gameday could a previously scheduled 11:00 game be shifted to night or vice-versa? Thank you in advance for your attention to this request.

Tom Suffredin

October 2, 2023

Mr. Davis and Dr. Gragg,

Congratulations on a fine effort by Northwestern's student-athletes against Penn State. I am writing to follow up on previously sent emails.

I never got a reply to these questions from September 2022. Is Northwestern's plan to not answer the questions that I ask on behalf of my constituents? I am still waiting for the answers that you said I would have by last Friday as well.

Here is an additional question:

The discussion of the stadium predates the public's awareness of the issues relating to misconduct in Northwestern's athletic department. Northwestern's position prior to this becoming public in July 2023 was that "a facility like this cannot be financially viable on just seven football games". Do the costs of litigation, investigations, potential settlements, etc. come from the athletic department budget or from another source?

I don't need to know all of the university's business and am aware there is pending litigation. I am asking specifically for information that will allow me to evaluate the veracity of Northwestern's claim that a zoning change is necessary for this project to be "financially viable". Will revenue from non-football events at Ryan Field be used to pay the costs of litigation, investigations, potential settlements, etc.?

Thank you. Please let me know when I can expect a reply to these two questions as well as the questions asked in my previous emails.

*Referenced September 22, 2022 Email:

Mr. Davis,

I understand that NU is proposing to demolish its current football stadium and build a new stadium at the same site. As the discussion moves forward and plans are solidified, please keep me informed on how equipment and materials are proposed to be delivered to the site. Will trucks mainly use Old Orchard and proceed down Central? Lake? Dempster? In addition to all the issues about building use, event day traffic, etc, increased truck traffic during demolition and construction is an issue of particular concern to the area I represent. 

Thank you

Cordially,

Tom Suffredin

October 13, 2023

Note: I did receive a reply with this link, which I reference in my response below.

Thanks. This is helpful, but not exactly what I am looking for. I am looking for game-by-game attendance figures. They're available in box scores on the Big Ten website, but extracting them is kind of a hassle. I can do that if needed. I'm adding Sgt. Sophier as well. Scott, we used to get end-of-event summaries from Tracy Williams that had attendance numbers. Those may still exist somewhere.

What I'm driving at is, to buttress or refute (whatever the actual data says) the argument that Northwestern has staged events with the same attendance numbers as proposed for concerts. My belief, based on this year's attendance and why I am asking for many years of data, is that there are not many home games at Ryan Field that reach the capacity that is proposed for concerts and other events. So for this analysis, attendance figures from home games played at other sites are not relevant. Those seem to be lumped in on the website that you sent.

Another thing that I invite you to consider, and this is why I have included Luke Stowe on this email as well, is a simulation of these concerts for public consideration. A simulation of the sound and vibration that would exist outside the stadium presented throughout Evanston so that people could experience that for themselves as well as a trial run of NU's transportation plan with buses running and vehicles leaving Evanston's downtown garages in a manner consistent with what would be expected on event days.

I realize this is likely not your decision to make unilaterally, but are you willing to see if this is something that NU is open to considering? Specifics and parameters could be discussed and agreed to by both the city and university. I believe that this would be more effective in assessing what the event day experience throughout Evanston would be than relying on decibel maps and traffic studies. Let's see, hear, and experience what this will actually be like.

Thank you for your consideration.

Tom 

One thing I did not address in these emails is the fundamental deceit at the core of Northwestern University’s Ryan Field proposal. It needs to be addressed now. The narrative being pushed by Northwestern and its surrogates does not withstand scrutiny. The hazing scandal and stadium proposal are -- and should be -- separate and distinct matters. However, the lesson of early July is that Northwestern will only be as honest and transparent as it believes the spotlight on its actions demands.

Northwestern’s ruse goes like this: The Ryan family has generously made a gift of $480 million dollars for the construction of a new $800 million stadium. The new Ryan Field “will pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the community creating thousands of jobs,” be “fully funded with private dollars – meaning NO taxpayer financing,” because “The University is committed to creating economic opportunities for minority-owned, woman-owned, and local Evanston businesses and residents.” But, “since a facility like this cannot be financially viable on just seven football games, the University is considering hosting a limited number of concerts each year.”

The only thing standing in Northwestern’s way, as they have presented it, is a small group of residents who must be opposed to these benefits. Why else would they object to the teensy-weensy zoning change that would allow for concerts and other events at the new stadium? They must be against the minority-owned, woman-owned, and local Evanston businesses and residents for whom Northwestern is committed to creating economic opportunity. If the Evanston City Council listens to these people or demands too much of us, we won’t build the stadium, and it will be all their fault. Darn those pesky residents who think they should have a say.

This is the deeply cynical position Northwestern University has taken, but clearly they and their surrogates believe that this is a path to the requisite number of council votes for passage of their proposal.

The reality is murkier than what Northwestern has presented. Many of the purported economic benefits of the stadium are the result of construction and would happen if it was a football-only facility as well. Many of the purported economic benefits also land outside of Evanston, but all of the burden falls on Evanston (and nearby Wilmette) residents.  

The money is the Ryan Family and Northwestern’s to spend as they wish.  However, if they choose to abandon the project because they don’t get everything they want, the responsibility for that decision lies with them, not residents or the City Council. Attempting to position construction of this stadium as some sort of redistributive wealth exercise intended to benefit Evanstonians strains credulity. Northwestern wants to build this stadium because it is in their interest to build this stadium.  

Our obligation is to get the best deal possible for Evanston taxpayers. The reality is that Northwestern’s “best deal” may not reach the threshold of good enough to merit consideration. So far, it has not.

Any revenue to the City of Evanston, District 65 or District 202 (although they both have separately elected boards that should engage on this issue themselves) tied to a ticket surcharge for events at Ryan Field is illusory. It is a pass-through, it is paid by attendees not by Northwestern. Additionally, it is a ploy to goad this council or future councils into approving more events. This is why it is critical that any financial benefits be substantial, guaranteed, legally binding and tied to the lifetime of the stadium. 

Until those types of financial benefits are what is on the table, this proposal should be rejected.

*The views expressed are those of Councilmember Suffredin and not those of the City of Evanston.

Thomas M. Suffredin   
Councilmember, 6th Ward
847-859-7810
tsuffredin@cityofevanston.org
www.cityofevanston.org