U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in Austin: Saturday 7:07 PM, Tickets, Parking, Free Pregame Party

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game puts North Dakota against Michigan State at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, near Austin, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 31, with puck drop at 7:07 p.m. Tickets were announced at $155 to $225 plus fees through Ticketmaster only, and a free pregame party runs on the arena plaza from 3 to 6 p.m.

According to ATX Things' reading of the arena's event page and the University of North Dakota's own event site (both read Thursday, Oct. 29), this is a college game with a road-trip crowd attached. North Dakota is bringing a fan weekend to Austin, and one piece of it, the pregame party, is open to anyone who shows up. We have not been to the arena for this event, and we could not see Ticketmaster's current inventory, so treat the prices below as the announced ones.

What is the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, and why is it in Austin?

It is a college hockey game that moves to a different city each year, and this year the University of North Dakota chose Austin. According to the arena's event page, North Dakota hosts Michigan State at 7:07 p.m. Central on Oct. 31, with the Austin Sports Commission and Visit Austin as partners.

Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale called it "an outstanding matchup between two storied college hockey programs that combined, have won 11 NCAA National Championships," in the arena's announcement. That is the school's own framing of the two programs' titles, and we did not count them ourselves.

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It promises to be an electric atmosphere inside the 6,800-seat H-E-B Center. — Dane Jackson, North Dakota head coach, in the university's ticket announcement

The 6,800 figure is the coach's. Google's listing for the building calls it an 8,000-seat arena We don't know why the two figures differ.

How much are tickets, and where do you buy them?

North Dakota's announcement, dated Oct. 27, 2025, lists four price levels: $155, $175, $195 and $225, plus fees and taxes. Tickets are digital only, sold through Ticketmaster, and live in the Ticketmaster app on your phone. The announcement says they are not sold at North Dakota's home arena, Ralph Engelstad Arena.

What we could not check: whether any of those levels are still on sale, and what resale listings cost today. Both change daily. If you want to go, open Ticketmaster before you plan the evening around it.

Is the pregame party free, and what is at it?

Yes. The arena's page says the official pregame party on the H-E-B Center plaza runs 3 to 6 p.m. on game day and "there is no cost to attend." North Dakota's own page says it does not require a ticket.

The listed lineup: a mechanical bull, armadillo racing, a custom hat bar, a photo opportunity with a longhorn bull, and official event merchandise. The arena page does not say whether food or drinks are sold on the plaza, and it does not say what happens if it rains.

Rain is the open question. The National Weather Service forecast for Cedar Park, issued Thursday morning, shows Saturday mostly cloudy with a high near 77 and a 30% chance of rain showers, easing to a slight chance before 7 p.m. That is a Thursday read of a Saturday sky, so check it again Saturday morning.

How do you get to Cedar Park, and what does parking cost?

North Dakota's event page says the arena is about 30 minutes from downtown Austin and that there is no event-provided transportation to the pregame party or the game. You drive or take a rideshare. We did not run a drive-time check for Saturday evening, so build in more than 30 minutes if you are crossing town.

The arena's directions point drivers to the 183A Toll Road frontage road, exiting at Scottsdale Drive when northbound, with three entrances to its lots along the southbound frontage road.

Parking, per the arena's page:

Source: H-E-B Center event page, read Oct. 29, 2026. The page says parking prices vary by event and that these are on-site rates, with a discount for buying in advance (it points to ParkWhiz and Ticketmaster). It also says parking is credit card only, and the property has more than 2,600 spaces. We could not confirm that these exact rates apply to Saturday's game.

What can you bring into the arena?

This is where a Saturday with rain chances gets practical. The arena's prohibited-items page lists:

• Non-clear bags larger than 5" x 9" x 2". Clear bags up to 16" x 8" x 16" are allowed.
• Umbrellas larger than 12 inches.
• Outside food and beverages, cans, bottles and coolers.
• Noisemakers, air horns, and cowbells larger than 8".
• Banners or signs larger than 22" x 28".
• Professional cameras with detachable lenses, tripods and selfie sticks.

What else is happening around the game?

North Dakota built a whole weekend around it, and parts of it are open to non-fans.

• Thursday, Oct. 29: a "Hawkey Hub Gathering" at select Rainey Street bars and restaurants (tonight, per North Dakota's page).
• Friday, Oct. 30: NoDak Palooza at ACL Live at The Moody Theater downtown. Doors and music from The Stateline Band at 7 p.m., a North Dakota pep rally at 8, and the Austin band Gone to Texas at 9 until about 11. It is ticketed through AXS (the page lists general admission floor at $89; we did not read the other levels), with walk-up sales at the venue on Friday. Everyone gets a free event bandana.
• Saturday, Oct. 31: the pregame party, then the game.

It is also Halloween. If the kids need a trick-or-treat plan instead, the city's carnivals are covered in our guide to Austin parks Halloween events, and the broader things to do in Austin list has the rest of the weekend.

What if you miss it?

The same arena is home to the Texas Stars. The arena's own parking schedule lists Chicago Wolves at Texas Stars on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7, at 7 p.m. We did not check ticket prices for those games. (The arena's prohibited-items page says hockey sticks are allowed at Texas Stars games only.)

What locals should know

• Puck drop is 7:07 p.m. Saturday. The pregame party is 3 to 6 p.m., free.
• Tickets were announced at $155 to $225 plus fees, Ticketmaster only, mobile only. Check availability yourself.
• Parking is credit card only: $15 general on the arena's page, less if you buy ahead.
• Bags: clear up to 16" x 8" x 16", or small. No big umbrellas.
• No shuttle. Plan on about 30 minutes from downtown, per North Dakota.
• This desk publishes twice a day, morning and afternoon, on what is actually open and actually happening. Follow @austintexasthings for the next one.

FAQ

What time does the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game start in Austin? Puck drop is 7:07 p.m. Central on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, per the arena. The free pregame party on the plaza runs 3 to 6 p.m.

Who is playing? North Dakota hosts Michigan State, according to the arena and North Dakota's event site.

How much are tickets? North Dakota's announcement listed $155, $175, $195 and $225 plus fees and taxes, sold through Ticketmaster. That announcement is a year old, so check current availability.

Can you go to the pregame party without a ticket? Yes. Both the arena and North Dakota say it is free and does not require a ticket.

Is there a shuttle from downtown Austin? No. North Dakota's page says there is no event-provided transportation, so fans arrange a car or rideshare.

Sources: H-E-B Center event page, University of North Dakota Austin event site, North Dakota ticket announcement, Oct. 27, 2025, NoDak Palooza page, H-E-B Center prohibited items, National Weather Service forecast for Cedar Park, all read Oct. 29, 2026.