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Fireworks go off over Beaver Stadium before a Penn State Nittany Lions football game vs. the Indiana Hoosiers. Matthew OHaren-Imagn Images

Hockey Is Finally Coming to Penn State's Beaver Stadium

Originally posted on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI
By Mark Wogenrich | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 12:54 PM ET

Penn State has been pitching Beaver Stadium as a potential hockey venue for more than a decade. Finally, the ice will arrive. The Nittany Lions will host a doubleheader Jan. 31, with the men’s team facing Michigan State and the women’s team taking on Robert Morris in the first outdoor hockey games at Beaver Stadium. Perfect timing, too, as the Penn State men’s team enters the 2025-26 season favored to win the NCAA hockey title.

Following the first Frozen Four appearance in program history, Penn State has positioned itself among the top draws in college hockey. Penn State made significant offseason news by signing Gavin McKenna, the consensus No. 1 prospect of the 2026 NHL Draft, to its roster this season. McKenna headlines a star-powered Penn State recruiting class that includes the program's first first-round draft pick and seven players who combined to score 201 goals last season.

Michigan State, meanwhile, won its second straight Big Ten Tournament title last season. The Spartans became the first Big Ten team to win consecutive regular-season and tournament championships.

The Penn State-Michigan State game is the first of a two-game series between the teams in State College. The Nittany Lions will be playing an outdoor game for the second straight season. They played Notre Dame in January as part of the Big Ten's Frozen Confines series at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

“Our team and so many Penn Staters are extremely excited about this game in Beaver Stadium,” men’s hockey head coach Guy Gadowsky said in a statement. “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.”

Penn State wants to host more than football at Beaver Stadium

Penn State's $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium is designed to position the building as a year-round entertainment venue. Penn State wants to host much more than football at the 65-year-old stadium. When the renovation is complete in 2027, Penn State will have the hospitality infrastructure to hold major outdoor sporting events like NHL games and international soccer matches. The NHL has expressed interest in holding a Stadium Series game at Beaver Stadium when the renovation is complete.

Penn State also wants Beaver Stadium to become a 12-month destination for smaller events such as corporate meetings, private functions and basically any large or small gathering in central Pennsylvania.

"By making these renovations, Beaver Stadium would be one of the only multi-use entertainment facilities at this scale between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh," Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft told university trustees in 2024. "The enhancements to Beaver Stadium will create significant new revenue and increase philanthropy opportunities that will allow us to reinvest funds into all of our student-athletes and allow athletics to continue to be self-supporting.

"Equally as important, by equipping the stadium for these events, we’ll be able to increase the number of visitors to the region, which will help bolster the local economy. ... The opportunity to host non-football activities and large-scale events at Beaver Stadium will bring additional economic growth year-round."

To host the Big Ten outdoor hockey game, Penn State likely will contract again with InProduction, the company that built Beaver Stadium's temporary seating for the 2025 season. InProduction constructed about 9,500 temporary seats at Beaver Stadium for the football season. The company also installed mobile modules called Spacecubes that can be used for broadcasting, hospitality and other needs.

"Penn State seems to be at the forefront of wanting to try new things," Phillip Glaeser said, InProduction's director of marketing, said in an interview. "'How can we give a better experience to our fans, and how can we provide unique experiences?' So I suspect we'll be a part of the Penn State athletic story for a long time. They've been a really good partner for us, and I think we've been a really good partner for them."

This article first appeared on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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