Penn State to Play in 'Frozen Confines' Hockey Series at Wrigley Field

The Nittany Lions will be part of the first college hockey tournament at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

An aerial view of Wrigley Field as the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Detroit Red Wings during the 2009 Winter Classic. / Guy Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State men's hockey will play its first outdoor hockey game at an iconic venue this season. The Nittany Lions will meet Notre Dame as part of the Big Ten's new "Frozen Confines" series, a four-game hockey event at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Chicago Cubs and the Big Ten are hosting the two-day series in early January, and Wrigley Field already will have a hockey rink in place. The stadium is hosting its second NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Eve.

The Penn State-Notre Dame hockey game is part of a Jan. 3 doubleheader that also features Ohio State vs. Michigan. Game times for the Jan. 3 games are scheduled for 5 and 8:30 p.m. ET, though time slots have not been assigned. The Jan. 4 games feature Wisconsin vs. Michigan State and a Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's game between Ohio State and Wisconsin. All four games will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

The "Frozen Confines" weekend follows Wrigley Field's second NHL Winter Classic, a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues on Dec. 31. Wrigley Field last hosted the NHL Winter Classic in 2009.

Wrigley Field has hosted a lot of things since it opened in 1914.

In January, the historic stadium will add college hockey to the list.

Crane Kenney discusses 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘻𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴: 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘛𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 👇#B1GHockey pic.twitter.com/d9a52fBT92

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Penn State's 2024-25 men's hockey already included some intriguing games. The Nittany Lions will play in the first Capital Hockey Classic, a hockey event in Washington, D.C. that coincides with the annual Army-Navy football game. Penn State will Army as part of a doubleheader Dec. 12 at Capital One Arena.

In addition, Penn State will begin its season with three road games on both ends of the continent. The Nittany Lions open the season with a two-game series at Alaska-Fairbanks on Oct. 5-6, marking the program's second trip to Alaska. After returning from Alaska, Penn State heads to Connecticut for an Oct. 12 game against Quinnipiac, which won the 2023 NCAA title.

Tickets for the "Frozen Confines" series will be available Aug. 30. Penn State will hold a pre-sale for season-ticket holders beginning Aug. 27.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.