The 2025 Stadium Series will combine one of college football’s most iconic stadiums and ice hockey this weekend.

On Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets will take on the Detroit Red Wings live from Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes on college football Saturdays. 

But the Buckeyes aren’t the first college football stadium to host outdoor NHL games. Let’s take a look back at some previous college football venues to host NHL games and whether they will continue.  

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College football stadiums to host NHL outdoor games

2025: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Red Wings, Ohio Stadium 

On Saturday, March 1 at 6 p.m. ET, Ohio Stadium will host the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. The venue usually hosts the Ohio State Buckeyes every Saturday, but the renderings released by the NHL in the days leading up to the game looked impressive: 

A #StadiumSeries preview. 👀

Don’t miss the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL #StadiumSeries this Saturday at 6p ET on @espn in the US and on FX & @Sportsnet+ in Canada! pic.twitter.com/bxCQwwelxo

— NHL (@NHL) February 25, 2025

Here’s more on the theme of the venue, via the NHL’s official release: 

The theme celebrating game day traditions of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Ohio State Buckeyes Athletics is visible throughout the field design rendering released today by the NHL. The NHL rink decking design, inspired by the University’s iconic Athletic Spirit Mark, features the Blue Jackets bold colors of Union blue, white and Goal red. The Cannon, a key element of Blue Jackets home games, will be fired each time Columbus scores a goal.

In a nod to the college sports helmet sticker tradition, decals depicting the Buckeye Leaf helmet award, the Blue Jackets Cannon, and the NHL Shield adorn the side of the field leading to the NHL stage. 

The release ads that the famous Ohio State marching band will assist with player introductions on Saturday. Although college football and ice hockey don’t mix often, it sounds like a very cool and unique combination of both sports. 

The Red Wings are currently sitting in fourth in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Standings, at 30-22 on the season. The Columbus Blue Jackets, which normally play at Nationwide Arena near OSU’s campus, are also fourth in the Eastern Conference Metropolitan Standings, at 28-22.   

Ohio Stadium holds over 100,000 people, so we could see close to a record crowd for this one. 

2020: Dallas Stars vs. Nashville Predators, Cotton Bowl 

This matchup five years ago was part of the NHL’s Winter Classic, which has put hockey games in numerous different stadiums since 2008. This year’s matchup was played in the Cotton Bowl, which normally hosts the annual Texas-Oklahoma rivalry in the fall. The venue hosting ice hockey actually made for an incredibly cool aesthetic: 

The attendance was 85,630 people, which is close to the capacity for the Cotton Bowl; Dallas won the game, 4-2. 

2019: Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Notre Dame Stadium

Also part of the Winter Classic, the home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish hosted the Bruins and Blackhawks. Here’s a look at what the venue looked like: 

The Bruins won this one, 4-2, in front of an attendance of 76,126 people.  

2014: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings, Michigan Stadium 

This game was supposed to be played in 2013 but was postponed due to the NHL’s lockout that season. This game was particularly unique, as it came close to setting a world record for the most people ever to attend a hockey game. The final attendance was 113,411 people. The setting was incredibly neat to host a hockey game: 

The Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout this year.  

Since 2020, there have been several baseball stadiums that have hosted the NHL’s Winter Classic, including Target Field in Minneapolis, Fenway park in Boston, T-Mobile Park in Seattle and Wrigley Field in Chicago in December 2024. 

In 2026, the Miami Marlins’ home stadium of LoanDepot will host the event in 2026. As a warm weather climate in 2026, that one will certainly be unique.