Houston Field House
Houston Field House, known as “The Madison Square Garden of Upstate New York”, is a hockey rink in Troy, New York, home of the RPI Engineers (ECAC Hockey, NCAA Division I). It opened in 1949, making it 77 years old in 2026 and seats 4,780 for hockey. That makes it the 21st-largest rink in NCAA and the biggest in the ECAC Hockey.
The closest NHL rink is TD Garden in Boston, about 137 miles away.
Rink facts
- Location
- Troy, New York
- Home of
- RPI Engineers
- School
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- League
- ECAC Hockey
- Opened
- 1949
- Capacity
- 4,780
- Nickname
- The Madison Square Garden of Upstate New York
- Former names
- RPI Field House (1949–1978)
- Size rank in NCAA
- 21st of 60
Famous moments at Houston Field House
- 1959 NCAA tournament (won by North Dakota; 17,000+ over three days)
- First hockey game Jan 10, 1950: Middlebury 8, RPI 2
- 1984 and 1985 NCAA tournament games
Game night
Tradition. Students camp out in the 'hockey line' for tickets; annual 'Big Red Freakout!' since 1978; RPI Invitational Tournament (1951–2010); Ring of Honor (2004).
Plan your trip to Houston Field House
Rinks near Houston Field House10
- 1NCAAM&T Bank Center — Union Garnet Chargers 15 mi
- 2ECHLHarding Mazzotti Arena — Adirondack Thunder 39 mi
- 3NCAAWilliam D. Mullins Memorial Center — UMass Minutemen 65 mi
- 4AHLMassMutual Center — Springfield Thunderbirds 71 mi
- 5AHLAdirondack Bank Center — Utica Comets 82 mi
- 6AHLPeoplesBank Arena — Hartford Wolf Pack 83 mi
- 7NCAAClass of 1965 Arena — Colgate Raiders 95 mi
- 8NCAATate Rink — Army Black Knights 95 mi
- 9SPHL/FPHLDanbury Ice Arena — Danbury Hat Tricks 96 mi
- 10NCAAThompson Arena — Dartmouth Big Green 96 mi
Questions about Houston Field House
Where do the RPI Engineers play home games?
The RPI Engineers play at Houston Field House in Troy, New York.
How many people does Houston Field House hold?
Houston Field House seats 4,780 for hockey.
When did Houston Field House open?
Houston Field House opened in 1949.
What is Houston Field House’s nickname?
Houston Field House is known as “The Madison Square Garden of Upstate New York.”
What other rinks are near Houston Field House?
M&T Bank Center in Schenectady is about 15 miles away. See the full list of nearby rinks on this page.
Facts are for the 2026–27 season. Distances are straight-line miles between city centers. Capacity figures vary by source. See something wrong? Let us know. Is this your rink? Get the “Listed on RinkGuide.com” badge for your website.