How Penn State Fans Can Go Ice Skating at Beaver Stadium

Penn State will host a hockey doubleheader at Beaver Stadium, and fans can test the ice as part of the inaugural Winter Sports Weekend.

A general view of Beaver Stadium after Matt Campbell is announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head football coach. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State has built a winter carnival around its first set of ice hockey games at Beaver Stadium, which includes an opportunity for fans to skate the ice themselves. Penn State is opening four public skating sessions at its football stadium, where the men and women's hockey teams will play Friday and Saturday.

Penn State will host hour-long Beaver Stadium skating sessions starting Jan. 28. The cost is $30 per person, rental skates included. Evening sessions are scheduled for Jan. 30-31 and Feb. 1. Capacity is limited for each session, and fans can register here.

The public skating sessions are part of what Penn State is calling its first Winter Sports Weekend. Penn State will host 15 sporting events at multiple events, highlighted by two hockey games at Beaver Stadium.

The fourth-ranked Penn State women's hockey team will host Robert Morris in the first outdoor hockey game at Beaver Stadium. That game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Friday.

On Saturday, the Penn State men's hockey team takes on No. 2 Michigan State in the second game of a huge Big Ten series. The Penn State-Michigan State outdoor hockey game will begin at 1 p.m. ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET Friday at Pegula Ice Arena.

Getting hockey ready. 🏒#WeAre pic.twitter.com/xLZHAUEMH8

— Beaver Stadium (@beaver_stadium) January 24, 2026

Penn State (18-6) is one of the hottest teams in college hockey, bringing a seven-game win streak to the Beaver Stadium game. The Nittany Lions swept fifth-ranked Wisconsin on the road last weekend to push their conference win streak to seven games as well. It's the longest such win streak in program history.

Fans looking to watch another win streak should be on campus Friday night, when the top-ranked Penn State wrestling team hosts No. 6 Nebraska at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State (11-0) has won an NCAA record 82 consecutive matches dating to 2020.

The Nittany Lions have been utterly dominant this season, shutting out seven of their 11 opponents and outscoring its schedule by a combined score of 480-19. Nebraska will be the second-highest team Penn State wrestles this season so far. The Nittany Lions routed fourth-ranked Iowa 32-3 on the road in mid-January.

Penn State's indoor track, men's volleyball, men's tennis, men's lacrosse and men's gymnastics teams will be in action on campus during the weekend. The Penn State men's basketball team will cap the weekend by hosting Minnesota at 2 p.m. ET Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Hockey finally arrives at Beaver Stadium

Fireworks burst over Penn State's Beaver Stadium before the 2025 White Out game between the Nittany Lions and Oregon Ducks. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State has been pitching Beaver Stadium as a potential hockey venue for more than a decade, notably as the host for an NHL Stadium Series game. The ice arrives first for two Nittany Lions' teams, though an NHL game isn't far off in the future.

Penn State's $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium is designed to position the building as a year-round entertainment venue. Penn State wants to host much more than football at the 65-year-old stadium.

When the renovation is complete in 2027, Penn State will have the hospitality infrastructure to hold major outdoor sporting events like NHL games and international soccer matches. The NHL has expressed interest in holding a Stadium Series game at Beaver Stadium when the renovation is complete.

"By making these renovations, Beaver Stadium would be one of the only multi-use entertainment facilities at this scale between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh," Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft told university trustees in 2024. "The enhancements to Beaver Stadium will create significant new revenue and increase philanthropy opportunities that will allow us to reinvest funds into all of our student-athletes and allow athletics to continue to be self-supporting."

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