Historic Hockey Valley Doubleheader Announced for January 2026 🏒

In what promises to be an exciting year, Penn State’s hockey programs will have an extra chance to make history. Athletic director Dr. Pat Kraft confirmed on August 29 that there will be a “Hockey Valley Doubleheader” at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, January 31, 2026. The women’s team will face Robert Morris University before the men challenge the back-to-back defending Big Ten champion Michigan State Spartans.

The best comparison is the December 2010 “Big Chill at The Big House” when Michigan defeated Michigan State 5-0 before 104,173 fans – a number confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest ever hockey attendance. With its capacity of 106,572, the Beaver Stadium crowd could rewrite history; and a football size crowd means a football weekend economic boost. Before the Big Chill, one Ann Arbor restaurant owner told The Ann Arbor News “We’re preparing like it’s a football Saturday. In this economy, it’s a bonus for us.” Studies show Penn State football fans bring in upwards of $87 million for Centre County every season. With football ending weeks earlier, the doubleheader is welcomed news for local businesses in State College.

Both games carry major implications. The women’s match versus Robert Morris is one of their last five games and could have a huge impact on the approaching AHA tournament. For the men, there is no shortage of storylines. Firstly, Michigan State finished runner-up for the likely next first overall NHL draft pick LW Gavin McKenna when he committed to becoming a Nittany Lion in July. This game falls in the middle of a stretch of 16 straight Big Ten matchups to end the season leading directly into the conference and NCAA tournaments.

The setting of West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium raises the stakes and provides an atmosphere potentially unlike anything hockey has seen before. The Hockey Valley Doubleheader will be an unprecedented opportunity to elevate collegiate hockey while driving hundreds of thousands of people and millions in revenue into Centre County.

Story by: Luke Pietrzak, https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-pietrzak-a8540a265/