Before No. 18 Michigan turned the ball over five times in a Saturday matchup with Northwestern, an early fumble took place, not on the gridiron, but rather over the Wrigley Field loudspeakers. As the two teams huddled on their respective sidelines during a late first-quarter timeout, the prevailing presence of the visiting Maize and Blue faithful looked antsy. A missed field goal on the Wolverines’ opening drive? A strong early showing from the Wildcat defense? At the time, the score was 0-0, but the game already had the makings of one that would ultimately go all the way down to the wire, ending in a 24-22 Michigan win. Wolverine fans expecting a sure-fire victory as part of their Chicago weekend getaway didn’t seem fond of the suspense. Just then in a low-stakes moment with Michigan driving at midfield a familiar tune graced the ears of the out-of-towners. “It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?” they sang along. A near-worship hymn sung on Saturdays in stadium seating rather than Sundays in pews, The Killers’ “Mr Brightside” is a staple of Wolverine home games at the Big House, one that reminds them not just of Ann Arbor, Michigan, but of the winning culture that’s long lived there. Within 10 seconds or so, the 2003 pop hit abruptly cut out and in its place, Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” took over. The crowd overwhelmingly composed of fans chanting “Go Blue” rather than “Go ’Cats” had been Rickrolled. While kudos are owed to the NU disc jockey and the cunning creativity behind the musical whiplash, to me, the moment served as a shocking auditory reminder of something already visually apparent: Even with purple-painted endzones, this was no Wildcat home game. Prior to Saturday’s showdown, the ’Cats had stumbled in each of their five “home” games played at the iconic baseball stadium since they first utilized the ballpark in 2010. On each occasion, visiting fans from across the Midwest arrived in droves, unwilling to pass up the opportunity to watch college football in the unusual venue. And yet, despite the lessons in losing he’d been taught by history, coach David Braun waltzed to the corner of Addison and Clark streets on Saturday with an unfounded sense of confidence. “This isn’t some outlier,” Braun said at his weekly press conference before the Michigan game. “We’ve played here before. Obviously, this season we’ll play at Wrigley again. This is a home game, and this team has been good at home, so it’s time for us to lean into that.” Over the past three years, with Braun at the helm, the team’s results at The Friendly Confines have been particularly excruciating. Hosting Iowa in 2023, a plethora of punts gave way to a 10-7 loss by way of a late Hawkeye field goal. In 2024, an electric start for then-quarterback Jack Lausch devolved into the inevitable: a grueling defeat before a crowd so decked out in red and white, onlookers could have suspected it took place in Columbus, Ohio at first glance. Then, during that same season: a 10-point stumble to NU’s in-state rival, Illinois. Now, most recently, the ’Cats forced five Michigan turnovers and came away with absolutely nothing to show for it. To summarize Braun’s emotional postgame press conference: There are no moral victories. Of course, there are in-game explanations for the squad’s last-minute loss, but opposing chants drowning out the comparatively insubstantial NU student section couldn’t have helped. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy even posted on X, albeit misspelled, “not a Northwestern fan in site” during Fox Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” show outside the stadium. Of course, attendees clad in purple were sprinkled throughout the clip, but beside the abundance of Michigan fans, their presence paled in comparison. A week removed from the morale-deflating defeat, the ’Cats will take on Minnesota and play what is likely to be their final Wrigley home game for a long, long time Saturday. Good riddance. There are plenty of reasons to get excited about the completion of the around $850 million new Ryan Field construction. For me, one of the most compelling things is that NU will no longer have to hand one or two home games per year over to an opposing fanbase. While next season’s dates, locations and week-by-week conference opponents aren’t finalized quite yet, it’s safe to assume that, by virtue of having the most expensive stadium in the sport’s history, the University won’t concede any chance to bring fans to their new Evanston abode. Pregaming at Wrigleyville bars may be fun for fans willing to make the short trip, but you know what’s even better? Watching winning football seeing “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” make a bowl game for the second time in Braun’s short tenure, perhaps. This weekend, the ’Cats will have one more ballpark battle against the Golden Gophers, with their best chance to ensure a . 500-or-better campaign and pocket a postseason game bid ahead. But if the team’s trend at Wrigley holds true in its final marquee matchup, don’t hold your breath waiting for a win. Email: AudreyPachuta2027@u. northwestern. edu X: @AudreyPachuta Related Stories: Captured: No. 18 Michigan walks off Northwestern at Wrigley Field, 24-22 Football: In emotional press conference, Braun reflects on ‘gut punch’ Michigan loss, Northwestern’s reputation.
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