Penn State to host outdoor hockey doubleheader at Beaver Stadium

Field Level Media|published: Fri 29th August, 20:36 2025

With less than a month before the season opener, construction on temporary bleachers continues at Penn State's Beaver Stadium on Saturday, August 2, 2025, in State College.

Penn State is following in the footsteps of its Big 10 rivals by hosting an ice hockey game in its cavernous football stadium.

Beaver Stadium will be the site of a college ice hockey doubleheader after Michigan and Ohio State hosted recent NHL games.

Both the Penn State women's and men's teams will play an outdoor game Jan. 31, 2026, the university announced on Friday.

The women's team will face Robert Morris, a rival from the Atlantic Hockey America Conference, while the men host Big 10 foe Michigan State.

Michigan State won the Big 10 Tournament championship in 2025, but the Nittany Lions advanced to the Frozen Four.

Beaver Stadium seats over 106,000, slightly more than the NHL-outdoor record 105,491 fans on hand at Michigan during the 2014 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Penn State venue is undergoing $700 million worth of upgrades is expected to be in consideration for an NHL game when the project is completed.

Penn State hockey just landed Canadian junior hockey sensation Gavin McKenna, who committed to the program for the 2025-26 season. McKenna, 17, is widely expected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft. He signed an NIL deal reportedly worth $700,000.

--Field Level Media