With outdoor hockey coming to Waldo Stadium, AD Dan Bartholomae has high hopes
Bartholomae has long wanted to bring this type of event to Kalamazoo, and anticipates being one of the biggest in the history of the city.
If there’s one thing Dan Bartholomae doesn’t want on January 30 next year, it’s warm weather.
“We can't have rain or unseasonably warm weather,” Bartholomae said in an interview with Mitten Football. “Then I got a problem.”
That’s because January 30, 2027, is going to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year in Kalamazoo, and one Bartholomae thinks could be the biggest in the history of Western Michigan University and the area: An outdoor hockey game against Michigan at Waldo Stadium.
The game, announced earlier this year, is something Bartholomae has long wanted to do since arriving as the athletic director at WMU. And after years of study and planning, things finally lined up to pull off a big-time matchup at the home of Western Michigan’s football program, just not during football season. And the game will not be the only attraction that week, as the Kalamazoo Wings will play a game at Waldo, along with opportunities for high school and travel hockey teams to play there. There will also be open skate sessions open to the public throughout the week.
“It's gonna be something else,” Bartholomae said.
When he first arrived in Kalamazoo, Bartholomae wanted to try and get an outdoor hockey game done. Then he learned about all the reasons it hadn’t happened.
The reasons — too small of a department, not enough money, the like — were valid, and Bartholomae then spent a few years learning more and more about the possibility and how to make it happen. It started to come into focus that this would be possible, aided by the continued success of the men’s hockey program at WMU, which won the 2024-25 national title and has established itself as a national power.
There were two big logistical hurdles, though, borne out of trying to find a time to play a hockey game in a football stadium, and the necessity of a big-time, in-state non-conference opponent, either Michigan or Michigan State.
“We really felt like this needed to be a non-conference game, right?” Bartholomae said. “Like, to make this work, you want it to be Michigan, Michigan State. But if you think about the way the non-conference schedule lines up, like, you play non-conference in October, November, December. You ain't playing it in Waldo, right? So we had to find somebody who was not only willing to be the guinea pig who comes and plays at this outdoor game, but they had to give up a bye week in their conference schedule. That's a lot to ask. And kudos to Michigan for stepping up.
“There were — I wouldn't say it was easy to get done, but I do think it's going to be the biggest sporting event in the history of Kalamazoo.”
Andrew Graham
Andrew Graham
Tickets went on sale to season ticket holders and donors throughout June, and general admission tickets go on sale at the end of July.
WMU is already halfway to its ticket sales goal, Bartholomae said, before even opening ticket sales up to the general public.
“We've only been on sale for, what, two weeks and we're halfway to our ticket goal,” Bartholomae said. “We want to sell this thing out and we're halfway there and we're not even on sale of the general public yet. So, you know, the community's excitement around hockey also made this really feasible.”
Bartholomae is also excited about the opportunities for others to experience getting on the ice at Waldo.
The Kalamazoo Wings will host the Toledo Walleye at Waldo Stadium on Jan. 31, the day after WMU and UM square off. Bartholomae also anticipates adding a few high school or travel hockey games to the docket, giving more people a chance to play on and experience this outdoor rink setup.
Beyond that, there will be open skate opportunities for the public, and Bartholomae anticipates opening up various amenities and attractions around the footprint of the rink and Waldo Stadium.
The hope, ultimately, is providing not just a hockey game but a week of attractions and fun anchored around a historic event for Western Michigan athletics.
“Be a part of a once in a lifetime experience,” Bartholomae said.
