The Chicago Stars will play the 2026 NWSL season at Northwestern University's Martin Stadium, ending a decade of playing at SeatGeek Stadium in front of bleak crowds.
The Stars announced the move for next season ahead of Sunday's game against the Orlando Pride, which will be played at the 12,000-seat lakefront stadium in Evanston, Ill.
A move to Martin Stadium is at least a temporary solution for a struggling franchise, although the Stars will be moving from a grass venue to an artificial turf field.
Stars president Karen Leetzow called the move "a new era" and "just one step in a series of changes" for the team that sits join-bottom of the NWSL with one win in 18 games. Chicago's lease at SeatGeek Stadium, located in the suburb of Bridgeview, expires at the end of this year.
Club management had publicly discussed the team's need for a better solution than the stadium, which is relatively cumbersome to access from the city center. Average attendance for the Stars at SeatGeek Stadium has been a few thousand fans per game, consistently among the worst in the NWSL.
Laura Ricketts, of the Ricketts family that owns MLB's Chicago Cubs, became majority owner of the Chicago NWSL franchise in 2023 and said publicly that "the stadium and the location is one of the biggest challenges slash opportunities for this team," and "it's not a secret we can do better."
Ricketts and club president Karen Leetzow have since signaled that they are exploring the construction of their own stadium, but that is a long, complicated process -- especially in Chicago. Stars officials and players have appeared before government officials to lobby for inclusion in any public stadium funding, as the NFL's Chicago Bears and MLB's Chicago White Sox look to build new stadiums.
MLS' Chicago Fire FC announced in June that it will build a 22,000-seat, privately financed stadium inside Chicago limits, with an expected opening in 2028. There is no indication currently that the Stars would play there.
The Stars have played some doubleheaders with the Fire in recent years at Soldier Field. Last year, Chicago set a new league record of 35,038 fans for a game at the Cubs' Wrigley Field in Chicago. The record was broken in August when Bay FC hosted a game at another baseball stadium in San Francisco, drawing over 40,000 fans.
Martin Stadium is home to Northwestern University's soccer and lacrosse teams. It is also hosting the school's football team while Ryan Field, the larger football stadium next door, is renovated. Ryan Field is expected to open in fall 2026.
The NWSL's collective bargaining agreement with its players states that "playing games and training on surfaces with natural grass generally is preferable," though it acknowledges the potential use of turf. Seattle Reign FC and Portland Thorns FC currently play home games on artificial turf.
Boston Legacy FC will play 2026 home games at Gilette Stadium, which also features artificial turf. (Seattle and Boston are expected to feature grass for a portion of 2026 as Men's World Cup host stadiums.)
Northwestern is accessible from Chicago via the city's subway, although the closest stop is over a half-mile from Martin Stadium.
"What began as a temporary lakefront home for Northwestern football has quickly become a unique venue that has welcomed collegiate, professional and international competition -- and the response from athletes and fans has been tremendous," Mark Jackson, the school's director of athletics, said in a statement.