At long last, Penn State University officially begins its tenure as a NCAA Division I men's hockey school with a matchup against American International at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion at 7:30 Friday. The game should be sold out. The two teams will also play in Wilkes-Barre Saturday.

Here's a link to the full Penn State hockey schedule, which includes games at CONSOL Energy Center (Penguins) and Wells Fargo Center (Flyers). The team will also play at Michigan State and Wisconsin.

The Penn State men's hockey team had previously played as an ACHA Division I team and was a club sport. This year marks the first since the 1940s that the team was a NCAA Division I team, although five current Nittany Lions have played NCAA Division I hockey in the past. The Nittany Lions will not be affiliated with any of the five NCAA Division I hockey conferences, but they'll play in the Big Ten in 2013-14.