Students, Spartan fans to travel to Illinois for game

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Without a home football game to celebrate, many MSU students are headed home for the weekend.
But for Adam Nelligan, home is only a 25-minute drive from Northwestern’s Ryan Field, where he will spend his Saturday afternoon in the stands cheering on the Spartans.

“From a really young age, I really wanted to go to Michigan State, and so my parents would take me (to the MSU vs. Northwestern football game), because it was close,” Nelligan, a mechanical engineering senior, said. “It’s a good time. Northwestern is a bit of a different atmosphere from most schools. It’s not as rowdy, but it’s still fun. Their student section is really small (so) it’s mostly visiting team fans.”

Like Nelligan, thousands of Spartan fans will turn Northwestern’s stadium green and white at Saturday’s game. MSU officially sold out its allotment of 3,000 tickets Monday, MSU Associate Athletics Director John Lewandowski said. Additionally, many students, alumni and supporters likely bought tickets through Northwestern’s ticket office, Lewandowski said. The high ticket sales are partially because Northwestern, located in Evanston, Ill., is so close to Chicago and partially because the MSU football team is 7-0 for the first time since 1966, he said.

“There’s no question (Chicago is) a popular destination and an easy drive as well,” Lewandowski said. “There’s always a noticeable mix of green and white at (Northwestern) games. Our folks turn out well, especially at that venue.”

Chris Rydel, a 1991 MSU alumnus and Waterford, Mich., resident, is one fan who bought his tickets through Northwestern and not through MSU. Although his seats say otherwise, Rydel said he will try to inch into the MSU section at the game.

“(MSU is) undefeated and Chicago is a fun town to be in,” Rydel said. “I’m trying to figure out where the other Spartans are going to be.”

Rydel will join a massive contingency of Spartans in Chicago, said Steven Wagner, the treasurer of the MSU Alumni Club of Metro Chicago.

“I would not be surprised if it’s at least 50 percent Michigan State people up there, (because) people are scrambling to try to find tickets,” Wagner said. “Walking around, … going back and forth to work, I constantly see MSU garb. … We have a noticeable presence and you definitely see a lot of the green and white being worn around the city all year long.”

More than 350 alumni and friends are registered to attend a tailgate hosted by the MSU Alumni Association on Saturday morning in Evanston, Ill., travel and events coordinator Regina Cross said. The number of registered attendees is much higher than usual, she said.

“When the team is doing well our numbers are larger (so) … this year has been pretty good turnout,” Cross said. “We usually have a pretty good contingent of alumni in (the) Chicago area.”

To help students and East Lansing residents traveling to Evanston, Amtrak is offering expanded capacity on trains this weekend, according to a press release. Containing 80 extra seats, a train to Chicago will depart from East Lansing’s Amtrak station, 1240 S. Harrison Road, at 8:28 a.m. Friday. A returning train, also carrying 80 additional passengers, will leave Chicago Union Station at 4:10 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit amtrak.com.

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