When the Michigan Wolverines and the Western Michigan Broncos face off against each other next season, it will be at WMU’s outdoor football stadium.
The two in-state rivals will play an outdoor game at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo on Jan. 30, 2027, the schools announced in a news release.
It will be the first outdoor hockey game at Waldo Stadium, which opened in 1939. Waldo is home to the Broncos football team, which won the Mid-American Conference and the Myrtle Beach Bowl in 2025.
Michigan’s hockey team is not new to outdoor games: U-M and MSU played the “Cold War” in 2001 and the Big House hosted “The Big Chill,” a matchup with Michigan State that attracted more than 100,000 fans.
Of the 44 outdoor games played in Division I history, the Wolverines have played in 10 of them — more than any other program, U-M said. Michigan is 4-5-1 in outdoor games.
This week, Michigan (31-7-1) heads to Las Vegas to face Denver (27-11-3) in its 29th Frozen Four appearance.
The semifinal game is set for 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday, April 9, at T-Mobile Arena.
The Bronco hockey program is experiencing the best five-year stretch in school history with the team winning 131 overall games and 75 games in National Collegiate Hockey Conference play.
WMU has made five straight NCAA tournaments and won the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship.
The Broncos, who lost to the Denver 6-2, in the NCAA regional final on March 29, were a game away from the Frozen Four this year.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan, WMU to play outdoors in Kalamazoo. When to see hockey showdown
Reporting by Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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