Beanpot Moving To The Big Stage

For the first time ever, the NCAA's Beanpot tournament will be hosted on NHL ice at Boston's TD Garden.

Women’s hockey fandom is growing. Rising television ratings, and bigger live crowds are the most obvious metrics.

That’s why the shift of the 2024 women’s Beanpot tournament to TD Garden in Boston, marking the first time the women’s tournament has ever been held in an NHL venue, is significant.

“As a former collegiate athlete, a fan, and an executive in the sports industry, I am thrilled to announce that TD Garden will be the proud home of the Dunkin’ Women’s Beanpot in 2024,” said Amy Latimer, president of TD Garden in a Hockey East news release. “For both the student athletes and the fans, we are confident it is an experience they will never forget. It’s a new chapter in equality for women’s sports and we are excited to support the growth of women’s hockey.”

As another sign of growth in the NCAA women’s game, this is also the first year the women’s Beanpot tournament will have a signatory sponsor in Dunkin’. The men’s tournament took on the Dunkin’ name in 2023.

Women have played at the Beanpot, a tournament featuring Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University to crown the top NCAA program in the city since 1979.

According to Joe Bertagna, former Hockey East Commissioner and one of the founding coaches for the Beanpot coaching Harvard, the shift of the women’s tournament to TD Garden is significant.

“This is something that many people have advocated for many years and not only will it be a thrill for the athletes, but it will also allow new fans to appreciate the women’s game," he said in the Hockey East release.

This season, Northeastern captured the 44th annual Beanpot title beating Boston College 2-1 at Boston College’s 8600 seat Conte Forum. TD Garden, home of the NHL’s Boston Bruins, has a capacity of 19,580.