Photo: Miriam Romain

Wrigley Field turned purple this week with the help of several sports and company execs including Cubs board member Laura Ricketts, Valspar’s Senior VP Howard Heckes and Northwestern University DA Jim Phillips who threw the first few strokes of Wildcat Purple paint on the famed Wrigley Field Marquee.

The game will mark the first time football has been played there since the Chicago Bears finished their 1970 season and will also be the first college football kickoff at Wrigley since 1938.

“In our family, we’re not only big Cubs fans, but we’re also huge college football fans. So, it is just a complete thrill and a real honor to be hosting Northwestern and Illinois this weekend. . . and to bring football back to Wrigley for the first time since 1970,” said Ricketts.

After a few words from the sponsors, the execs were strapped into harnesses and after making their way into two cherry pickers were raised to the historic marquee and applied the first strokes of paint. Once the real workers got into place, the job moved fast and the transformation was complete to Wildcat Purple by 1 p.m.

During that same day, the members of the media were invited inside Wrigley Field to see the football gridiron. It was an amazing sight to see a football field and goalposts extend from behind home plate to the right field bleachers where the post was actually attached to the bleacher wall. To make room for the field, the pitcher’s mound and bullpens were removed. A thick padding was also attached to the outfield wall and the Cubs dugout.

The Chicago Bears called Wrigley Field home from 1921-1970 but the stadium was also used by the Chicago Tigers in 1920 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1920 and again from 1931-1939. Aside from Northwestern and Illinois, DePaul and Loyola have also kicked off at Wrigley.

In conjunction with Saturday’s game, Sheffield Avenue will be renamed Wildcat Way and fans who are lucky enough to catch field goals and extra points will be able to keep the balls.

ESPN College Gameday has also elected to air live from the stadium throughout the day.

Used with permission of the author.

Miriam Romain is a Chicago-based sportswriter and national columnist covering the Chicago Cubs for Examiner.com. The Windy City native is also the Associate Editor for SBNation Chicago and has been published in the Maple Street Press Cubs annuals. In her free time, Romain is working on a book titled “Summers At Wrigley With My Dad.”

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