After consecutive bowl appearances for the second time in Northwestern University’s gridiron history, the school isn’t looking only to go to another bowl game this season, but also to reach out to Chicago to garner more attention on their football program.

The Wildcats have been consistent on the field; they have gone 23-13 in their last three seasons, with trips to the Alamo Bowl in 2008 against the University of Missouri and the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day against Auburn University in Tampa, Fla., earlier this year.

The Wildcats’ new marketing campaign is geared toward raising Chicagoans awareness that the proximity of Evanston, Ill. makes this one of Chicago’s teams.

“Chicago’s Big Ten Team” is the slogan Northwestern has begun marketing itself with in newspaper ads, radio commercials and pregame displays on the field.

Mike Polisky, senior associate athletics director at NU, said the beauty of the slogan is its simplicity.

“We have one of the best universities in the world,” Polisky said during halftime of Northwestern’s home opener against Illinois State on Sept. 11. “We have millions of people we draw from and we’re finally getting out and about to make sure they realize we’re here.”

Polisky previously worked as president of the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League and the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. His experience helped him land the task of marketing the Wildcats in what he called a very competitive marketplace.

“We’re very encouraged [and] excited,” Polisky said. “We know we’re going to have growth, but it’s going to take time.”

The Wildcats have not drawn fans to Northwestern’s Ryan Field in the past few seasons, given the team was effective in one of the premier college football conferences in the Big Ten.

Ryan Field seats approximately 47,100, the smallest of any stadium in the Big Ten—but there has been only one sellout in the last three seasons, according to attendance figuers pulled from NUSports.com.

The sellout was on Nov. 8, 2008, when the Wildcats lost 45-10 to a 12th-ranked Ohio State team.

For home openers in the past three seasons, the Wildcats pulled fewer than 21,000 spectators to Ryan Field. In last season’s home opener against Towson, 17,857 attended; in 2008 against Syracuse, 20,015 came ; and against Northeastern University in 2007 16,199 were in attendance.

Polisky said the past is not relevant to the university at the moment while they work to make the Wildcats more prominent in Chicago.

“We are not focusing on things that happened in the past,” Polisky said, “We are doing things at Northwestern for the first time in 161 years.”

Some of the new additions include a tunnel for the team to enter through before kickoff, with fireworks to complement the introduction.

“I loved the fireworks and the tunnel,” said Sidney Stewart, a senior wide receiver for the Wildcats, after their 37-3 victory against Illinois State University. “It set a nice tone. It’s great to see our program moving forward to have all the extra effects to match the way we play.”

The Wildcats drew 25,547 attendees for their Sept. 11 home opener. Season ticket sales are up 40 percent compared to last season, according to Polisky. With tickets starting at $25 for non-conference games and $35 for Big Ten conference games, Polisky said the onus is on the program to raise more awareness.

“I don’t think there’s reluctance; I think there’s a lack of awareness,” Polisky said. “That’s on us. It’s up to us to make [Ryan [Ryan Field] a compelling place to go.”

Compared to other Division I football programs, Northwestern has a better record than Notre Dame and the University of Illinois in the last two seasons combined. Notre Dame has gone 13-12 with one bowl appearance, and Illinois has gone 5-11.  The Wildcats have a 17-9 mark over two years.

Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald—who was a star linebacker for the Wildcats when it made its last Rose Bowl appearance in 1996 against the University of Southern California—said he is happy with the job Polisky and other staff members have done to raise the profile of Northwestern football.

With other Big Ten schools having distinct home field advantages, Fitzgerald is ready for Ryan Field to enjoy that

same distinction.

“[I’m] looking forward to continue making this one of the more difficult places to play in the Big Ten,” Fitzgerald said.