Spartan Hockey to Play Nationally-Televised Game on the Road

Michigan State hockey will get a chance to play on a big stage this upcoming season.

Michigan State's head coach Adam Nightingale looks on during the third period in the game against Ohio State on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at Munn Arena in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Michigan State hockey team is going to have a pretty fun opportunity ahead of them early on in its 2025-26 season, as the Spartans will play on ESPNU against Boston University on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. ET, the team announced on Friday.

It will be a matchup between two of the best programs in college hockey right now; MSU was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year and BU made it all the way to the national championship game, where it lost to Western Michigan.

A Look at MSU's Early Hockey Schedule

Michigan State goaltender Trey Augustine (1) skates during players introduction at Duel in the D between Michigan and Michigan State at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The trip to Boston will be Michigan State's third and fourth official games of the season --- the game on ESPNU being the first of those two --- and the Spartans' first game away from Munn Arena. In addition to the ESPNU broadcast, both games will also be available for streaming on ESPN+.

MSU opens its season with a home exhibition against Windsor (Ont.) on Oct. 3. Its first two regular season games will be a two-game series against New Hampshire in Munn Ice Arena on Thursday, Oct. 9 and Friday, Oct. 10.

Following the BU series, Michigan State will come back to the state, but will actually end up in the Upper Peninsula for two games against Northern Michigan on Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25.

It turns out that after that opening series at home against UNH, the Spartan hockey team won't play in Munn for nearly a month. The team's second series at home is against Penn State on Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8.

All-Time Series with BU

Apr 12, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Boston University Terriers forward Shane Lachance (18) reacts after scoring against Western Michigan Broncos goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (not pictured) during the second period of the Frozen Four college ice hockey national championship at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The game on ESPNU will end up being the 19th meeting all-time for hockey between Michigan State and Boston University. Lots will be at stake, as the series is split right down the middle at 9-9.

It's still been a while, though. MSU and BU haven't met since Oct. 24, 2014, which was a 1-0 Terriers home win over the Spartans in Agganis Arena.

Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale has made a new habit of scheduling hockey teams from Boston during the non-conference schedule. The Spartans faced Boston College twice on the road during the 2023-24 season and hosted the Eagles for their first two home games of last season.

Spartans in the spotlight.

Our series opener at Boston University on Oct. 17 will be nationally televised on ESPNU! pic.twitter.com/3bwNZq30SS

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) September 19, 2025

MSU hockey coach Adam Nightingale coaches his Spartans, Saturday, March 22, 2025, during the third period of the Big 10 Hockey final at Munn Ice Arena. MSU won 4-3 in double overtime. | Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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