UND will announce this morning the long-anticipated men's hockey game in Nashville, according to multiple sources.

The game will take place at 7:07 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2020, in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.

The opponent is Penn State, as previously reported.

The game has been in the works for over two years, but everything was recently finalized.

UND has had wild success playing destination games.

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It dipped its foot in the water in 2012 by playing Clarkson in Winnipeg. UND won that game 3-1.

In 2014, UND played exhibition games in suburban Vancouver, but the idea really took off in 2016 after the Fighting Hawks played Boston College in New York City. That event drew an estimated 8,000 UND fans to New York City to watch UND beat the Eagles 4-3 in Manhattan.

In 2018, UND sold out a 7,500-seat Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for a showdown with rival Minnesota. UND won that game 3-1. The Vegas event drew people from at least 45 different states.

UND and Ralph Engelstad Arena officials began working on the Nashville game long before the Vegas game was played.

The 2020 Nashville game will mark the first time that UND and Penn State play in men's hockey. The Nittany Lions are one of eight college hockey programs that UND has never played against. The others are Arizona State, UConn, American International, Bentley, Mercyhurst, RIT and Sacred Heart.

Tennessee will mark the 28th state where UND has played a hockey game.

The last time UND has played in each state

Colorado – Nov. 16, 2019 at Denver

North Dakota – Nov. 9, 2019 vs. Miami

Minnesota – Oct. 19, 2019 vs. MSU-Mankato

Michigan – Feb. 16, 2019 at Western Michigan (Kalamazoo)

Nebraska – Jan. 19 2019 at Omaha

New York – Jan. 5, 2019 at Canisius (Buffalo)

Ohio – Nov. 10, 2018 at Miami (Oxford)

Nevada – Oct. 27, 2018 vs. Minnesota (Las Vegas)

Wisconsin – Nov. 4, 2017 at Wisconsin (Madison)

Alaska – Oct. 7, 2017 at Anchorage

Florida – April 9, 2016 vs. Quinnipiac (Tampa)

Vermont – Oct. 24, 2015 at Vermont (Burlington)

Maine – Oct. 10, 2015 vs. Maine (Portland)

Massachusetts – April 9, 2015 vs. Boston University (Boston)

Pennsylvania – April 10, 2014 vs. Minnesota (Philadelphia)

Indiana – Nov. 24, 2013 at Notre Dame (South Bend)

Illinois – Jan. 3, 2010 vs. Notre Dame (Hoffman Estates)

New Hampshire – March 28, 2009 vs. New Hampshire (Manchester)

Missouri – April 5, 2007 vs. Boston College (St. Louis)

Connecticut – Nov. 2, 2002 at Yale (New Haven)

New Jersey – Nov. 1, 2002 at Princeton

Rhode Island – April 8, 2000 vs. Boston College (Providence)

California – Dec. 6, 1981 vs. U.S. International (San Diego)

Arizona – Dec. 9, 1978 at Northern Arizona (Flagstaff)

Iowa – Dec. 29, 1964 at Waterloo Blackhawks

New Mexico – Dec. 26, 1948 vs. Michigan (Albuquerque)

Kansas – Feb. 10, 1948 at Wichita Flyers