Last January, the University of Michigan housed a record-shattering hockey--and even surpassed NCAA crowd attendance--event when the Wolverines played host to intrastate rival Michigan State in an outdoor game appropriately dubbed the "Big Chill at the Big House". 113,411 fans witnessed college hockey in all it's glory on a stage typically showcasing some of football's best in Ann Arbor's largest venue.
While it's going to be tough to match the success of last year's game, Ohio State certainly is going to try. Big Blue will hit the road Jan. 15 for a match-up with the Buckeyes not at Ohio Stadium where a showdown between the team's two football powerhouses have typically occurred, but at Progressive Field, home to MLB's Cleveland Indians.
Moving the game to a baseball diamond is unique beyond a doubt. As with last year's game the hopes are to increase exposure for hockey at the collegiate level. With the rivalry between these two storied football programs dating back to the 1920s, will that same intensity translate on ice at a baseball field?
As any hockey fan I am nothing but eager to check this game out just a few weeks after the famed Winter Classic. Putting the game at center stage in its purest form brings the game back to its roots. Let's play ba--er hockey!
Tickets went on sale Nov. 14 and more information can be found here: Frozen Diamond Faceoff