Western Michigan Hockey to host outdoor game vs. Michigan in 2027

Western Michigan, the defending national champions of NCAA men's hockey, announced on Thursday afternoon their intention to host a non-conference game against the Michigan Wolverines at Waldo Stadium.

The game is tentatively scheduled for January 30, 2027.

The Broncos have played outdoors twice in program history, both times as part of a neutral-ice tournament.

WMU won the 2013 edition of the Great Lakes Invitational played at Comerica Park, winning 1-0 against Michigan Tech in overtime, and lost 4-3 to the Miami RedHawks in the 2015 Hockey City Classic played at Chicago's Soldier Field.

Michigan is the progenitor of the outdoor game at the college level, having played two outdoor games in 2001 against rival Michigan State. The "Big Chill at the Big House" game in 2001 is the highest-attended hockey game in NCAA history, with 104,173 certified attendees. The Wolverines are 4-5-1 all-time in outdoor games, and have played the most outdoor games of any Division I program (10.)

"Western Michigan University is excited to bring another transformational moment to Kalamazoo and the entire Southwest Michigan community," Western Michigan athletics director Dan Bartholomae said via press release. "First – we look forward to hosting the University of Michigan and our entire community in a unique take on our long-standing hockey rivalry. We appreciate their support and the support of Discover Kalamazoo in helping this dream come to life.  We can't wait to see our entire community join the Lawson Lunatics in filling up Waldo Stadium for this one-of-a-kind experience." 

This will not be the first time the two teams have met outdoors.

The 2013 Great Lakes Invitational saw WMU and Michigan play one another in the opening round. The Broncos upset the highly-favored Wolverines 3-2 in overtime to advance to the title game.

Ticket, broadcast and other event information will be determined at a later date.