Frozen ponds and outdoor sheets are staples in the hockey world. From neighborhood shinny to the NHL’s Winter Classic, the greatest sport on ice will always have its roots in the great outdoors.
And that is especially true in college hockey. Since 2001, there have been dozens of DI men’s hockey games played outside. Let’s dive into the history of outdoor games in men’s college hockey.
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In 2001, rivals Michigan and Michigan State came together in one of the greatest spectacles in hockey history, the Cold War.
The first outdoor game in NCAA history, the Cold War was a regular season matchup between the Spartans and Wolverines on October 6, 2001. Spartan Stadium was packed to 103.4% capacity as fans from across the state and beyond traveled to see this one-of-a-kind event. Each team brought a 300-piece marching band to the field, creating a true college football atmosphere. The temperature got down to around 34 degrees, and the clouds overhead made for perfect ice conditions at puck drop.
The Cold War set a then-world record for largest crowd at an ice hockey game with 74,554 fans, but it’s still the second-largest crowd ever at an NCAA hockey game. The game ended in a 3-3 tie after overtime, but it is credited with starting the trend of outdoor hockey events, in college and beyond.
We don’t have to travel too far for the next one. On December 11, 2010, the Wolverines and Spartans met again, this time at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor for “The Big Chill at the Big House.” It was the fifth outdoor DI men’s hockey game, and the third of 2010. But this one was different from all the others.
With an announced attendance of 113,411 fans (104,173 certified by Guinness World Records) packed the Big House, the game shattered the attendance record for any hockey game ever played, a record that still stands today. The Wolverine faithful were treated to a 5-0 shutout win from the home team in a rematch of the Cold War game.
Outdoor college hockey games with the largest crowds:
Fenway Park is the most frequent recurring venue for outdoor hockey, hosting over 20 college games among all divisions of men’s and women’s hockey. The historic ballpark began hosting outdoor hockey in 2010 as part of the Frozen Fenway series, and it has since hosted 17 DI men’s games through 2023. Frozen Fenway games have featured a variety of Northeast-area teams, including Boston College, BU, Northeastern, Harvard, UConn and more, while visiting teams have included Notre Dame, Union, Army and Providence, among others.
Frozen Fenway is typically a multi-game series featuring a mix of DI and DIII men’s and NC and DIII women’s teams. In 2023, the Frozen Fenway series featured two DI men’s games and two NC women’s game in the days following the NHL’s 2023 Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Detroit’s Comerica Park, and Chicago’s Soldier Field have each hosted four DI men’s hockey games over the years, while Chicago’s Wrigley Field (3) and Connecticut’s Rentschler Field (2) are the only other outdoor venues to host multiple DI men’s hockey games.
Forty different DI men’s hockey teams have appeared in an outdoor game since 2001. Michigan is the only team to play 10 outdoor hockey games, beginning with the Cold War. The Wolverines may have the most outdoor appearances, but Boston College is perhaps the most successful team under stadium lights, winning four out of its five games.
DI men’s hockey teams with the most outdoor game appearances:
The outdoor tradition continues in 2026, as Penn State hosts two outdoor games at the legendary Beaver Stadium. Penn State set a program record for the highest-attended women’s hockey game in a 3-0 win over Robert Morris on Jan. 30. The men’s team takes on rival Michigan State on Jan. 31, and with a maximum capacity of 106,572 at Beaver Stadium, it could easily be in the top-three largest crowds ever at a college hockey game.
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Torin Smith joined NCAA.com in January 2025 as a Digital Editorial Intern. He is a fall 2024 graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Throughout college, he held multiple internships with a focus on digital journalism and sports media. Smith is also a NATAS Southeast Emmy Award winner as the executive producer of a student documentary on the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
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