New Trier's football team will play its oldest rival in the biggest venue either program has ever used.

The Trevians face Evanston Township High School on Friday, Oct. 16, at Northwestern University's rebuilt Ryan Field, a 35,000-seat, $875 million stadium that opened Oct. 2. It will be the first high school football game at the new facility, New Trier News reported in September.

The Week 9 matchup is New Trier's regular-season finale and its last conference game of 2026. The Trevians carry a 6-1 record, per MaxPreps as of Oct. 2.

"The crowd will be extremely big for a high school football game," head coach Brian Doll told New Trier News in September. "It'll probably be the biggest crowd they ever play in front of. Maybe not, but it has the potential for that."

New Trier's football field at the Northfield campus holds about 3,000 fans. Ryan Field seats nearly 12 times that.

The rivalry dates to 1913. Evanston holds a slim all-time edge, 57 wins to New Trier's 54, with six ties. The teams have split the last four meetings, with New Trier winning in 2025 and 2022 and Evanston taking 2024 and 2023.

Northwestern is hosting the game rent-free as part of a community engagement commitment tied to the stadium project. Pat Ryan Jr., the Northwestern trustee who was the primary stadium funder, said at a May 26 press conference that the university pledged to reinvest concert and alcohol revenue into community events, including local high school and youth sports. The Record North Shore first reported the game announcement.

The new stadium has not been without friction for North Shore neighbors. Ryan Field's opening brought pre-game pyrotechnics and an F-16 flyover, The Daily Northwestern reported. In the days before, the city required full-volume alarm and speaker testing from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kim Novi, a 7th Ward Evanston resident who lives blocks from the stadium, told The Daily Northwestern the disruption felt like living near Wrigley Field. Street parking in the surrounding neighborhood is restricted to permit holders from two hours before each game to one hour after, with a $125 fine for violations, according to The Record North Shore.

Wilmette, which borders Ryan Field to the north, opposed the Chicago Stars' proposed move of home games to the stadium earlier in 2026.

A community advisory council was set to meet Wednesday, Oct. 14, to evaluate how transportation and security plans performed during the first two games. That session falls two days before the New Trier-Evanston kickoff.

Also announced at the May press conference: the annual New Trier-Evanston rivalry basketball game will return to Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday, Feb. 5, 2027, as a girls-boys doubleheader.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on Saturday, Oct. 10. Families can check New Trier’s athletics website for prices and updates.