Huge outdoor games will be coming to State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State athletics announced its men’s and women’s hockey teams will play contests at Beaver Stadium on Jan. 31, 2026.
The home of Nittany Lion football will be transformed into “Hockey Valley” for the on-ice doubleheader, a play on the stadium’s “Happy Valley” nickname. The men’s team will face defending Big Ten champion Michigan State while the women will face Robert Morris.
“This is a historic moment for Penn State Hockey, our fans and the entire Penn State community,” vice president for intercollegiate athletics Patrick Kraft said in statement released by the school Friday. “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.”
The St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Jess Myers (via columnist Charley Walters) had the story first on Aug. 27.
“A little birdie tells me to expect an announcement later this week of a @MSU_Hockey at @PennStateMHKY outdoor game at 106k-seat Beaver Stadium,” Myers wrote on X.
Beaver Stadium can hold over 106,000 fans for a college football game. If the school were to host an outdoor game there and sell out the event, it would beat the record for the highest-attended outdoor hockey game in North American history.
The 2014 NHL Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings at the University of Michigan currently holds that record with an official attendance of 105,491. “The Big House,” as Michigan Stadium is called, has a capacity of 107,601.
It’s unclear if Beaver Stadium will be able to hold it’s traditional capacity as the school is currently completing the first phase of a $700 million revitalization project. Temporary bleachers have been installed along the upper bowl to accommodate fans that will attend the upcoming football season, beginning with the Nittany Lions’ home opener against Nevada on August 30.
An extra layer of spectacle could also be added to the potential clash of college adversaries with fans getting a special look at Nittany Lion forward Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 NHL Draft. McKenna reportedly spurned the Spartans in his decision to play college hockey in State College instead of East Lansing. McKenna will notably be facing off against Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, who committed to Michigan State in July.
The NCAA is no stranger to outdoor hockey games. In fact, the Big Ten Conference hosted four of them at Chicago’s Wrigley Field in January. Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Michigan all participated in men’s contests while the Buckeyes and Badgers faced off in the only women’s match to take place there.
Now officially announced, the Jan. 31 matchup will be just Penn State men’s hockey’s second appearance at an outdoor game. Michigan State, on the other hand, is more experienced in the elements with six prior engagements.
