Northwestern's Nov. 7 game against Wisconsin will not take place at Chicago's Wrigley Field, as originally planned, the Wildcats said on Wednesday.
Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips said the decision was disappointing but necessary, given the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
"The uncertainty of football and baseball schedules, and the possibility of limited attendance, made this an easy choice to make for our student-athletes and fans," Phillips said. "We're grateful for our outstanding partners from the Cubs, and look forward to bringing the passion and pageantry of college football gameday to the city's north side when we can do so safely and securely with a packed house."
Northwestern said the game has been postponed. However, a school spokesman said that if the schedule holds and the game remains on Nov. 7, it would be played at Northwestern's Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.
Previously, Northwestern played Illinois at Wrigley in 2010, the first college football game there since 1938.
"Postponing the next installment of Northwestern football at Wrigley Field made sense given the great number of challenges and uncertainty to navigate in a pandemic environment," said Crane Kenney, the Cubs' president of business operations. "We look forward to welcoming the Wildcats back to the Friendly Confines to play in front of a capacity crowd of Northwestern fans as soon as possible."