Rumors had been swirling about a potential Penn State hockey game in Beaver Stadium since the winterization upgrades to the venue were announced over a year ago, and on Friday, they were proven true.
The men’s and women’s teams will play a doubleheader inside the nation’s second largest stadium on Jan. 31, the university announced. The men will face Michigan State, while the women will play host to Robert Morris, both conference matchups. The release did not include times for puck drop.
“This is a historic moment for Penn State hockey, our fans and the entire Penn State community,” athletics director Pat Kraft said in the release. “To bring the excitement of college hockey to Beaver Stadium is truly special. Having our men’s program face a premier Big Ten opponent in Michigan State and our women’s program face Robert Morris on this stage reflects the incredible growth and national profile of Penn State Hockey and provides an unforgettable experience for our student-athletes, alumni and fans. We can’t wait to see Hockey Valley come alive in Beaver Stadium.”
One of the benefits of the winterization, part of a larger $700 million renovation to Beaver Stadium, was the ability to host events year-round, including College Football Playoff games, concerts and other sports teams.
The men’s squad is hoping to gain a significant home-field advantage against one of the toughest opponents on its schedule, as the Spartans are coming off both a regular season and conference tournament championship in 2024-25. They also won both championships the year prior.
“It has been consistently asked of me since I arrived at Penn State, and I want to send thanks to Coach Franklin for sharing his home with us, as well as Dr. Pat Kraft, Vinnie James, and the entire Penn State Athletics Department for making it happen. We can’t wait to take the field,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said in the release.
His squad enters the season as the betting favorite to win the national championship after making several major offseason acquisitions, most notably No. 1 draft prospect Gavin McKenna. The team finished hot down the stretch, going 14-4-2 in its final 20 games, including ranked wins over Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota, Maine and UConn, before falling short in the Frozen Four.
The women’s team is coming off its third consecutive conference championship and a program-record 31 wins. All signs point to a four-peat in 2025-26, with senior Tessa Janecke, already the program’s all-time leading scorer, expected to be among the top players nationally.
“This opportunity is momentous and historical for Penn State Hockey. Considering all the legendary moments the men in black shoes and basic blues have created on this turf, WE ARE looking forward to creating some of our own and making Penn State proud. Thank you, Pat,” head coach Jeff Kampersal said in the release.
Michigan State, Wisconsin, Michigan, UConn, Notre Dame, Air Force and Minnesota State are other universities to host college hockey games at on-campus football stadiums in recent years, usually producing successful showings from fans. The attendance record for these games was set when the Wolverines hosted the Spartans at Michigan Stadium in 2010, drawing 104,173 total spectators, giving Penn State a chance to break that record.
