The Univ. of Minnesota will host the '14 Hockey City Classic on Jan. 17 at TCF Bank Stadium. The college hockey doubleheader will kick off with the UM women's team taking on Minnesota State at 4:30pm CT, followed by the UM men's team hosting Ohio State at 8:00pm (UM). In Minneapolis, Jason Gonzalez notes the event will be the city's "first Division I college or professional outdoor hockey game in the modern era." Tickets will "go on sale to the general public Oct. 22 and start at $15." Beer and wine "will be available at the games." Rumors of such an event "have been swirling around" the UM athletic department since school President Eric Kaler, AD Norwood Teague and other staff "visited Chicago for the men’s outdoor matchup against Wisconsin" on Feb. 17. UM "planned to play Notre Dame at TCF Bank Stadium in 2011, but the risk of bad weather creating massive unexpected costs nixed the idea." Chicago-based Intersport "will coordinate this season’s event." The company's experience of "successfully holding such events and its willingness to be responsible for more than half of the funding convinced Kaler this relationship was the right fit." Intersport estimated the Hockey City Classic "will be a seven-figure expense." UM's investment "should be around $400,000 to $500,000" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/4).
