For the first time in school history, the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay will host a football-style game, even if only for one night. UW-Green Bay announced a new partnership with the Green Bay Blizzard that will see the indoor football team rebrand as the Frozen Phoenix for one game on April 18, 2025, giving students a true college football atmosphere inside the Resch Center.
The announcement was made during a campus press conference, where UWGB Chancellor Michael Alexander highlighted the importance of collaboration in the university’s ongoing growth. “A lot of what we’re succeeding with right now is because of our collaborating,” Alexander said. “We don’t do anything on our own. It’s important to make sure if you’re growing, that you grow with partners who are like-minded and want to grow with you.”
Alexander connected the partnership to UWGB’s broader mission of serving Northeast Wisconsin. “Everything we do at UWGB is about community,” he said. “It’s about the 16 counties that surround UWGB and doing everything we can to make those counties a better place to work and live.” He also noted the importance of UWGB being the region’s only public Division I university and how partnerships like this help strengthen that identity.
Alexander addressed a long-standing question of why UWGB does not have a football team, sharing a story dating back to the university’s founding. He said the Green Bay Packers were concerned that college football could compete with the NFL for fan support, and that Vince Lombardi encouraged the university to focus on soccer instead. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked why we don’t have football,” Alexander said, pointing to the Frozen Phoenix game as something that could change the future of UWGB.
Athletics Director Josh Moon officially announced the details of the partnership and what fans can expect on April 18. “It is my honor today to announce the historic partnership coming to the Resch Center,” Moon said. “The Green Bay Blizzard will become the Frozen Phoenix for the university’s first-ever football game.”
Moon praised the Blizzard for setting a standard for family entertainment in the community and said UWGB hopes to mirror that success. The rebrand will include Frozen Phoenix uniforms and helmets, with announcers referring to the team as the Phoenix throughout the game, and appearances from the UWGB cheerleaders and pep band.
Green Bay Blizzard owners Larry and Kathy Treankler also spoke, highlighting the shared values between the two organizations. Larry Treankler pointed to the connection between UWGB student-athletes and Blizzard players. “There are a lot of synergies,” he said. “A lot of what our passions are about is community through these young competitors.”
Treankler also reflected on the Blizzard’s recent success, noting the team came just short of a league championship last season and expressed excitement about competing as the Frozen Phoenix. Kathy Treankler unveiled the Frozen Phoenix jersey and announced the game’s giveaway, a Frozen Phoenix snow globe. The jerseys worn during the game will be auctioned, with proceeds supporting initiatives connected to both UWGB and the Blizzard.
When the Frozen Phoenix take the field on April 18, UW-Green Bay students and fans will experience a football-style game unlike any previously hosted at the Resch Center.