The Big Ten hockey champion will be determined on Saturday, March 22 when the top seed in the conference, the No. 1 Michigan State Spartans face the third seed, the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.
The championship is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Fans looking to watch can do so for free through FuboTV, which offers a free trial and up to $25 off your first month, or DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but does have other promotional offers available.
Ohio State’s journey to the championship matchup started with a 4-1 loss to Wisconsin in the first round of the tournament. But the Buckeyes bounced back in the best-of-three series and took the second game, a 3-2 overtime victory, and the third to set up a date with Penn State in the semifinals. In the single elimination game against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State once again needed overtime to pull out the victory, this time 4-3.
The Spartans have had a much less adventurous tournament so far, only playing once, and picking up a 1-0 win over the seven seed, Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish upset the second seed, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, in the first round. Minnesota tied Michigan State on the season with 50 points.
In four meetings this season between the Buckeyes and Spartans, Michigan State has won three, including the two at Munn Ice Arena. The most recent contest came at the end of January and the Spartans won 4-1.
Loading…
Who: No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 1 Michigan State Spartans
When: Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. EDT
Where: Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.
Stream: FuboTV (free trial); DirecTV Stream (free trial); Sling
Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial and up to $25 off the first month for new customers.
What is DirecTV Stream?
DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.
What is SlingTV?
SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation.
RELATED CONTENT:
Bid to launch women’s DI hockey at Michigan moving forward, regent Denise Ilitch tells the AP
By JOHN WAWROW AP Hockey Writer
University of Michigan regent Denise Ilitch told The Associated Press she believes there’s enough support for the Big Ten school to launch a Division I women’s hockey program that it’s only a matter of when, not if, it will happen.
“I think that the decision to have a DI team is positive, so that would be a yes,” Ilitch said by phone on Thursday. “I think now, it’s a matter of how do we get there.”
Several issues still need to be resolved, headed by determining whether to build a new facility to house both the men’s and women’s teams under one roof and how to pay for a project with a projected cost of at least $300 million.
Ilitch, however, expressed confidence in saying she is eager to jumpstart the women’s program’s launch by identifying an off-campus arena to host the team in the interim.
“All I can say is those that are the supporters and the board and the president all want the same thing,” said Ilitch, the daughter of Detroit Red Wings owner Marian Ilitch.
“So I think we’ll move as quickly as we can,” she added. “I don’t want to put a date on it though but, boy, I’m hoping within the next few months we’re able to have at least a direction on whether it’ll be Yost or new arena.”
The 102-year-old Yost Arena has been the long-time home of the Wolverines men’s program, but considered too small to accommodate two varsity teams.
A feasibility study commissioned by the school last year outlined several options, with the cheapest projected to cost about $50 million to expand Yost’s footprint. The cons of such a venture are reducing campus and community ice-time availability and valuable parking spaces.
Otherwise, the study’s author, Collegiate Sports Associates, estimated it would cost $300 million to build a new one-rink facility with an 8,000-10,000 seating capacity. CSA also priced out a new two-rink facility at $330 million — with the second ice sheet providing more revenue-generating potential.
The study placed “a conservative estimate” in anticipating it would cost Michigan $4.1 million annually to fund a women’s program, while noting there are various partnership options — including arena naming rights — to offset the losses.
Ilitch has been a long-time proponent for Michigan adding a women’s program in a bid to fill a major void in the state. Despite producing numerous national team-caliber players, Michigan has lacked a Division 1 team since Detroit’s Wayne State disbanded its in 2011.
Her comments come at a time women’s hockey registration has jumped by nearly 43% nationally over the past decade, a jump in Division III teams, and the sport gaining further traction with last year’s launch of the six-team PWHL.
On Sunday, Detroit will host its second PWHL neutral site game in two years, with the defending champion Minnesota Frost playing the New York Sirens at the Red Wings home. And Detroit is also a candidate for expansion, with the PWHL considering adding as many as two teams for next season.
“Detroit calls itself Hockeytown, so it’s kind of bizarre to me that there isn’t a college team,” said New York forward Elle Hartje, who is from Detroit, and played collegiately at Yale. “I’m appreciative that the PWHL recognizes it as a viable market to expand to. And hopefully, if that does happen it’ll have a trickle-down effect into the NCAA.”
Sirens teammate Abby Roque is from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and said she would have considered staying in state had there been a program, while also cherishing her career at Wisconsin.
“Having something there for young girls in Michigan now would be incredible, because when you can see it, it really does feel so much more attainable,” Roque said.
The CSA study found 45 Michiganders played on women’s college rosters during the 2023-24 season. Overall, Michigan ranked fourth that year in the U.S. with 5,327 female hockey registrants behind Minnesota (15,723), Massachusetts (11,763) and New York (6,795).
The Wolverines currently feature a women’s club hockey team, which was coached by Jenna Trubiano, who has taken over a strategic advisory role in working with Ilitch to launch a DI program.
Too often, Trubiano said, Michigan-born players leave the state to pursue hockey and never return, leading to a talent drain at the youth girls hockey coaching levels.
Trubiano said what helped spur the women’s hockey push at Michigan was arch-rival Ohio State winning two of the past three NCAA titles.
“It was really something that put it on the radar for people at Michigan because it was like, ‘OK, Ohio State just won a national championship and how did we do? Well, we don’t have a program,’” she said.
“So I was actually rooting for Ohio State. Hey, that’s the business right,” Trubiano added with a laugh. “I see them as a competitor, and Michigan faithful, I believe they want to beat Ohio State in everything.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
