Penn State is one win away from bowl eligibility, and after the Nittany Lions edged Washington 28-25 on Saturday, national projections are already mapping out where they could land this postseason.
With Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland still ahead, the path to a sixth win looks favorable. That has put Penn State in the mix for a range of destinations, from baseball stadiums in the Northeast to a trip south.
CBS Sports has Penn State headed to the Fenway Bowl, where the Nittany Lions would meet East Carolina at Fenway Park in Boston on Dec. 26 at 2 p.m. The historic ballpark has hosted football since 1912, but the Fenway Bowl itself is still new, first played in 2022 when Louisville beat Cincinnati 24-7.
Penn State has never played in the game, though the bowl’s usual ACC-American setup may leave room for a Big Ten team if too many league teams become eligible. East Carolina enters at 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the American, with back-to-back overtime losses to UAB and Memphis.
The Pirates still have Charlotte, Army and FAU left. CBS also noted a possible full-circle angle for receiver Chase Sowell, who spent two seasons with East Carolina before transferring to Iowa State in 2025.
Rotowire sees Penn State in another baseball venue, projecting the Nittany Lions back to the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 26.
That matchup would kick at noon on ABC against North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 5-4 under Bill Belichick in his second season, with a win over ranked Pitt and a three-point loss to then-No.
1 Miami. North Carolina closes with Louisville, Virginia and NC State.
Penn State played in the Pinstripe Bowl last season and beat Clemson 22-10 behind breakout performances from former Nittany Lion quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and running back Quinton Martin Jr.
ESPN and Athlon Sports both have Penn State in Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 26 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, but the opponent projections differ. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura has Clemson, while Mark Schlabach picked Duke. Athlon Sports went with Louisville.
If Bonagura is right, Penn State would meet Clemson in a bowl for the second straight year. The Tigers became bowl eligible after beating Syracuse 18-13 on Saturday, and the all-time series is tied 1-1 after Penn State’s Pinstripe Bowl win last season.
Schlabach’s pick would create a first-time matchup with Duke, and it would also put Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz against his former team after serving as Penn State’s defensive coordinator from 2022-23. Duke is 7-2 and clinched bowl eligibility by beating Boston College two weeks ago.
Louisville is 6-3 after upsetting then-No. 16 SMU in Week 3 and has won four straight heading into games against North Carolina, Pitt and No.
6 Kentucky. Penn State and Louisville met in 1996 and 1997, with the Nittany Lions winning both.
College Football News has Penn State headed even farther south, projecting the Nittany Lions against North Texas in the First Responder Bowl on Jan. 2, 2027, at Gerald R. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas.
That game would kick at 3:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Penn State has appeared in this bowl’s lineage only once, when it was known as the TicketCity Bowl in 2011 and the Nittany Lions lost to Houston 30-14. The game later carried the Heart of Dallas Bowl name before becoming the First Responder Bowl in 2018.
North Texas is already bowl eligible at 7-2 and unbeaten in the American, with losses only to Indiana and Texas State. The Mean Green are on a six-game winning streak and still have UTSA, Tulane and UAB left.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Got A Scary Jack Ham Update
Penn State fans got a jolt before kickoff when Hall of Famer Jack Ham was hospitalized in Seattle after a medical emergency ahead of a Penn State game. Ham, who starred for the Nittany Lions before becoming a longtime Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, has remained a familiar presence around the program for years as a color commentator on Penn State football radio broadcasts.
Matt Campbell later offered a reassuring update, saying Ham is making great progress and remains in stable condition. For a fan base that has heard Hams voice and seen his connection to the program for so long, the news brought an immediate wave of concern, and then some relief as his condition improved. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Got Another Big NFL Reminder This Weekend
Former Penn State players kept popping up all over the NFL scoreboard in Week 9, another reminder of how much pro talent has come out of Happy Valley. Kaytron Allen chipped in on special teams for the Miami Dolphins with a 46-yard fake punt run and picked up his first career reception, while Saquon Barkley found the end zone for the Philadelphia Eagles. Elsewhere, Parker Washington hauled in a touchdown for the Jacksonville Jaguars, adding to a weekend that kept Penn State fans checking box scores well after the college games were over.
The biggest late-game swing came from Juwan Johnson, who caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime for the New Orleans Saints, while Dani Dennis-Sutton added tackles and a sack for the Green Bay Packers. It was the kind of scattered but steady showing that underscores how deep Penn States NFL footprint remains, with alumni contributing in every phase and at every level. For a fan base that tracks its former stars closely, this was one of those weekends that made the pro schedule feel a little like a reunion. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Receiver Concern Just Got Worse With Koby Howard
Penn States receiver picture has taken another hit with Koby Howard still stuck on the sideline after the injury that required surgery back in Week 3. He had returned to practice ahead of Week 9, but he has not played since, and the latest update from Matt Campbell makes the situation sound even more uncertain as the season moves on.
Campbell said Howard is in a pause state in his recovery and has not been cleared to come back until he is fully healthy, which leaves open the possibility that he does not play again this year. Howards production before the injury showed why his absence matters, with 344 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches, and the good news for Penn State is that he still has three seasons of eligibility left once he gets back to full strength. [Read more 🡒]