Penn State’s 2027 non-conference football schedule just got a shakeup. Instead of hosting Delaware as originally planned, the Nittany Lions will now welcome Maine to Beaver Stadium. The switch, reported to be a mutual agreement between the two programs, comes with Delaware reportedly helping cover the cost to find Penn State a replacement.
So how does this impact Penn State’s non-conference slate for 2027? The new trio now features Syracuse, Temple, and Maine.
Syracuse and Temple are familiar foes from the past-longtime regional rivals that Penn State used to see on a near-annual basis. Maine, though, is a newcomer to the Nittany Lions’ schedule.
In fact, the two programs have never faced off before.
While Maine might not jump off the page as a powerhouse opponent, the Black Bears have been trending in the right direction under head coach Jordan Stevens. After a 2-9 campaign in 2023, they’ve clawed their way to a 5-7 mark in 2024 and finished last season at 6-6.
It’s a modest climb, but a climb nonetheless. For a program like Maine, that kind of progress signals a team that’s learning how to compete-and one that could bring some fire to a game in Happy Valley.
From Penn State’s perspective, the 2027 schedule looks a bit more balanced than what’s on deck for 2026. That upcoming non-conference stretch-set long before Matt Campbell took over as head coach-features home games against Marshall and Buffalo, with a road trip to Temple in between. Not exactly a murderers’ row, and certainly not the kind of lineup that moves the needle in the playoff conversation.
That’s why the addition of Syracuse in 2027 carries some weight. It gives Penn State at least one Power Four opponent on the non-conference docket, which matters in a college football landscape where strength of schedule can be the difference between making the playoff and watching it from home.
What remains to be seen is how Matt Campbell will approach non-conference scheduling in the long run. So far, the only move under his watch has been the Maine swap, and that appears to have been more about logistics than philosophy. But if he shares the mindset of his predecessor, James Franklin, then we may have a clue.
Franklin was always clear about his scheduling approach: minimize risk, maximize playoff potential. Back in October 2023, he put it plainly-unbeaten or one-loss teams have the best shot at the postseason, so why stack the deck against yourself? He pointed to another Big Ten powerhouse (you can probably guess which one) that’s found success with a similar formula.
If Campbell leans the same way, fans hoping for high-profile, early-season showdowns might be in for a wait. For now, though, the 2027 schedule gives Penn State a mix of old rivals, a new face, and a bit more intrigue than the year before.