Nomadic pro team confirms 2027 home plans as residents push back on move into new $875m stadium

The Chicago Stars are not moving just yet.

The NWSL team currently plays its matches at Northwestern University’s Martin Stadium.

Getty

They temporarily moved to the 12,000-seater lakeside college football stadium last September and had plans to follow Northwestern’s football team to the new Ryan Field, one mile away for 2027.

There, construction has been underway on a brand new stadium that cost approximately $875 million to build, making it the most expensive college football stadium ever.

However, these plans have since fallen through due to opposition from residents in the local area who have expressed their concerns over private events being held at the new stadium.

As the Stars – one of the founding members of the NWSL – continue to make plans to find a new permanent home, they will, for now, continue to play in Evanston.

These latest developments have also impacted future plans, with demolition plans having now had to have been put on hold for at least another year.

Before their switch to Martin Stadium, Chicago previously played their home games at SeatGeek Stadium in the southwestern suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, where they had been since 2016.

They shared this stadium with the MLS side Chicago Fire, who are currently building their own new stadium in the city’s South Loop, which is currently estimated to be open in 2028.

However, it is a difficult location to reach by transit, and the move to Evanston was a welcomed one due to being more accessible.

Since the move, though, they haven’t achieved the attendance numbers they perhaps may have expected in 2026 due to their poor performances on the pitch.

Numbers are down due to on-field performances

According to Front Office Sports, they are averaging just 4,316 fans per home match this season – by far the lowest in the league.

Getty

Instagram / newryanfield

Getty

After 21 games, they sit at the very bottom of the standings, having won just five games and drawing one other.

This comes despite having members of the United States Women’s National Team on their roster, including goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and star forward Mallory Swanson who returned to professional soccer in May after the birth of her first child.

As such, the team fired head coach Martin Sjögren earlier in August, and promoted assistant Karina Báez as interim for the remainder of the season.

On Sunday, Báez spoke of how much she loves Martin Stadium due to it being lakeside – even if the wind can sometimes cause problems.

“It’s a beautiful view, you can see the lake, it’s a beautiful environment, but yes, [the wind is] part of our home,” Báez said.

Despite their struggles on the field, the team have reported that season ticket sales are actually up 31 percent from last year.

This is just as well as the Stars are reportedly projected to pay more money to Northwestern to use their facilities next year than they have this year.

This is due to the team becoming the stadium’s “primary tennant,” with the Wildcats’ women’s lacross and soccer teams also playing there.

The specific financial details of the deal in place, though, remains confidential.