Big Ten Conference to host hockey doubleheaders at Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field will be home to an ice rink, at least for a few days, this winter, as the Big Ten announced a quartet of hockey games will be held in the Friendly Confines shortly after the new year. The series is being called the “Frozen Confines.”

The games will continue the traditions of Big Ten teams playing outdoor games, dating back to the “Cold War” game between Michigan and Michigan State, played in Spartan Stadium in 2001 in front of a then-record crowd. That game more or less spurred on the modern movement to play outdoor hockey games.

In the decades since, teams now in the Big Ten hockey league have played outdoor games rather commonly, going to venues like Michigan Stadium, Camp Randall and even Fenway and Comerica Parks.

The 2025 Frozen Confines series at Wrigley will feature four total games, three feature Big Ten men’s conference matchups and once WCHA game, between Wisconsin and Ohio State — the Big Ten currently doesn’t sponsor women’s ice hockey. Notre Dame plays in the Big Ten in men’s ice hockey.

The full schedule for the two-day event, on Jan. 3-4, 2025, is as follows:

• Jan. 3
  Penn State vs. Notre Dame
  Ohio State vs. Michigan

• Jan. 4
  Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (WCHA)
  Wisconsin vs. Michigan State

The order of the respective games has not been decided, but they’re expected to start around 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. EST on Jan. 3 and 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Jan. 4. All the games will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

While the respective men’s teams have all posted impressive track records of late — all have made the NCAA tournament since 2022 and Michigan has made three-straight Frozen Fours — the matchup between the Wisconsin and Ohio State women’s teams is the truly titanic game.

Those two programs have combined to win the last five national titles in women’s ice hockey and faced each other in the last two national title games.

The Big Ten is also being tactical about the location of these games, as the NHL is hosting the Winter Classic — it’s annual outdoor game — at Wrigley Field on Dec. 31, 2024. It’s the second time the Winter Classic will have been played at Wrigley.

And given the general strength and depth of the Big Ten as a hockey league, it’s a safe bet this spate of matchups at Wrigley will yield some great games and potentially spur future considerations for outdoor hockey matchups.

With teams in the Twin Cities, central Pennsylvania, Columbus, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Madison and South Bend, there are numerous options across the Midwest to accommodate more outdoor college hockey.