Ohio State forward and captain Davis Burnside celebrates after scoring to make it 2-1 during the Buckeyes’ game against Wisconsin on March 8, 2024. The Buckeyes defeated the Badgers 3-2 in the third game of the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal series. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
When Ohio State’s Gunnarwolfe Fontaine buried an overtime winner against Penn State in last year’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal, the Schottenstein Center erupted. It wasn’t just any victory; it was another spark in one of college hockey’s most quietly intense rivalries.
This weekend, No. 17 Ohio State will host No. 4 Penn State in a top-20 showdown at the Schottenstein Center, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. both Thursday and Friday.
It’s a matchup that reflects how two programs, one built on decades of tradition, the other on rapid investment, have helped shape the identity of collegiate hockey in the Big Ten. Unlike the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, this rivalry was not born from geography or tradition.
Penn State joined Division I hockey in 2012 and immediately shook up the Big Ten. In their first year, the newcomer Nittany Lions stunned the Buckeyes 5-4 in what became their first Big Ten win.
Every meeting since has been a statement, with each team trying to claim the edge. In last year’s four regular-season meetings, two went to overtime, including a 6-6 tie and a shootout win for Penn State in University Park. Ohio State went 2-1-1 in the matchup last year.
Senior defenseman Nathan McBrayer, who has played nine games against the Nittany Lions, sees the matchup as an energy boost for the team.
“We’re chomping at the bit to play Penn State,” McBrayer said. “We’ve had great energy this week.”
Ohio State hockey roots date back to 1963, when the program began as a small Midwestern team in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The program found little success in its formative years, getting eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament in four of its six appearances. But decades later, under head coach Steve Rohlik, the Buckeyes have evolved into consistent title contenders.
Since Rohlik’s first season in 2013, Ohio State has had seven seasons with 20+ wins and captured its only Big Ten title in 2019.
“It takes a lot to stay consistent,” Rohlik said. “It starts and ends with recruiting and culture. We try to build on what’s been done before, just putting another brick in the wall.”
On the other hand, Penn State, a former club team, began its varsity hockey program in 2012 with a $102 million gift from alums Terry and Kim Pegula.
The Pegulas are Penn State alumni who made their fortune through Terry’s successful natural gas company, East Resources, which they later sold for billions before expanding into professional sports ownership.
The foundation was laid decades earlier by former Associate Athletic Director Joe Battista, a former Penn State club hockey player and coach who spent 26 years advocating for Division I hockey, pitching the idea to Pegula.
When Pegula asked Battista why Penn State Hockey isn’t competing with programs like Ohio State, Battista told him that it would take $50 million.
Pegula responded, “I can help you with that,” and ultimately gave more than $100 million to fund the arena and scholarships.
Since then, the Nittany Lions have won Big Ten titles in 2017 and 2020 and reached the Frozen Four in 2023.
“It brings tears of joy thinking about how far we’ve come,” said Battista.
The rivalry isn’t just about wins and losses; it’s about differences in philosophy. Ohio State built its foundation slowly, one game at a time. Penn State burst onto the scene fully funded and ready to fight.
“This weekend isn’t just about rankings,” Battista said. “It’s tradition versus investment.”
