Northwestern football "unlikely" to play at Wrigley Field prior to 2019, per source

Northwestern football is "unlikely" to host a game at Wrigley Field prior to the 2019 season, a source familiar with the situation told Inside NU.

Athletic director Jim Phillips recently told Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune that he was "anxious to get something done," and Greenstein wrote that "Phillips hopes the Wildcats can return to Wrigley in November 2017."

Any game at the home of the Cubs, however, is contingent on Wrigley Field renovations. Phillips did acknowledge this in his comments to the Tribune. "It's really on their timeline," he said.

Northwestern's deal with the Cubs, which was struck in 2013, was agreed upon with knowledge of the Cubs' renovation plans. Once the renovations are complete, Wrigley will be able to safely and fully accommodate a football game.

Northwestern hosted Illinois at Wrigley in 2010, but the game was forced to be played towards only one of the two end zones, because the other end zone was cut off by the right field wall. Both offenses drove towards the end zone that bordered the third base dugout.

There is no specific timetable for the completion of the Wrigley renovations.