Penn State men’s hockey is heading to The Friendly Confines to kick off the new year. The Nittany Lions will take on Notre Dame at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, as part of a four-game slate of Big Ten hockey within the historic venue.
The Chicago Cubs have deemed the event as “The Frozen Confines,” and it will mark the first outdoor game in Penn State Division I program history.
The contest between the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish will serve as one part of a two-game doubleheader that Friday. Ohio State and Michigan will also play that day at either 4 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. local time. The order of the games is still pending.
Ohio State and Wisconsin will send their women’s hockey teams, members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), onto the ice the following night at Wrigley. That game will also serve as one leg of a doubleheader, with the Wisconsin and Michigan State men’s teams playing the other.
All games will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
A ticket for each day will be valid for both legs of the doubleheader. Penn State season ticket holders will be eligible for a pre-sale, beginning 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 27 and concluding 11 p.m. ET on Aug. 29. Alumni, donors and non-hockey season ticket holders will also be eligible for a presale beginning at 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 28
Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 30. Tickets will be sold and issued by Wrigley Field with each ticket being digital and issued through the MLB Ballpark app.
Penn State finished last season with a 7-14-3 record, and was eliminated by Minnesota in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions faced Notre Dame twice, losing and tying a pair.
Perhaps the team’s outdoor debut in Chicago will serve as a sign of things to come. Beaver Stadium’s ongoing renovations have centered around winterizing the venue so it can host events after the conclusion of football season.
Kraft said in July that the stadium is “ready to go” to host a College Football Playoff game, if the Nittany Lions are given the opportunity. And with previous support for hosting a NHL Winter Classic game, Kraft wouldn’t likely think twice about allowing Penn State’s hockey teams to take the ice in Beaver Stadium.
