Northwestern and Ryan Sports Development declared the new Ryan Field's Oct. 2 debut a 35,000-seat sellout. Photographs and press accounts showed hundreds of empty seats.

Multiple outlets covering the Wildcats' 34-13 win over Penn State noted visible swaths of unfilled purple seats in both the lower bowl and upper deck. The Chicago Tribune reported empty sections in the lower bowl and vacant rows in the upper reaches. Front Office Sports reported that large portions of the lower bowl sat empty from kickoff, with the crowd thinning further in the second half.

Evanston Now reporter Jeff Hirsh, who attended the game, reported counting more than 500 empty seats across a dozen upper-deck rows in a single section visible from his vantage point. As of Oct. 7, neither Northwestern nor Ryan Sports had released a turnstile count, the standard measure of how many fans actually entered the building. Evanston Now reported it requested that data and received no response.

The distinction matters. A "sellout" can mean every ticket was purchased, even if hundreds of buyers never walked through the gate. A turnstile count would show how many people were actually inside the $875 million stadium, the most expensive college football venue ever built, according to USA Today.

Ryan Sports Development CEO Pat Ryan Jr. said on X on Saturday, Oct. 3, that the stadium sold out the Monday before the game and that standing-room-only tickets were issued to meet demand. His explanation for the empty seats: the stadium's open concourses, which overlook the field, drew fans away from their assigned spots.

"Our concourses are open & overlook the field," Ryan wrote. "They turned into giant bars with people hanging out watching the game there together live."

Head coach David Braun addressed the issue at a Monday, Oct. 5, press conference, as reported by Front Office Sports. Braun said he understood why fans chose the concourse view and called the opener "a great start," while acknowledging the atmosphere could still improve.

On the field, Northwestern gave the crowd plenty to cheer about. The Wildcats rushed for 413 yards against Penn State, their highest single-game total since piling up 444 yards against Illinois on Nov. 22, 2003, according to the Evanston Roundtable.

The City of Evanston's official account posted on X before the game that opening night was "SOLD OUT" and that about 35,000 people were expected. The pre-game and post-game attendance figures both listed 35,000. Without a turnstile count, the actual number remains unverified.

Northwestern's next home game at Ryan Field is Saturday, Oct. 10, against Ball State for Homecoming. As of Oct. 7, that game was not sold out and seats remained available. The Ryan Field Advisory Council is scheduled to meet Wednesday, Oct. 14, to review the stadium's performance after the first two home games.