Penn State basketball opens its regular season Monday with a Bryce Jordan Center doubleheader, giving fans an early look at both programs in the same night.
The Lady Lions get things started at 5:00 p.m. against Cleveland State, and the Penn State men follow at 7:30 p.m. against Canisius.
For Tanisha Wright, it’s the first regular-season game of her head coaching tenure with the Lady Lions, and the roster she’s bringing into it looks completely different from the one she inherited. Penn State rebuilt from scratch in the offseason and now has 11 players on the roster, a group Wright is counting on to help push Lady Lion basketball back toward its former level.
The Lady Lions already had one tune-up under their belt, rolling past UPJ 84-47 in their only exhibition game on Oct. 27 at Rec Hall.
Cleveland State arrives with some strong recent numbers, finishing the 2025-2026 season at 26-10 overall and 13-7 in Horizon League play. The Vikings also made a run to the Women’s NIT Tournament Great 8 Round. Bob Dunn will guide them in his first season as head coach after serving last year as an assistant at Penn State during the 2025-26 season.
The men’s game brings a different kind of challenge. Canisius comes in from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference after going 10-21 overall and 5-15 in league play last season. Jim Christian is in his third year leading the Golden Griffins.
Penn State, meanwhile, is trying to make its own jump in the Big Ten under fourth-year head coach Mike Rhoades. The Nittany Lions also have a revamped roster, with 14 players on the team and 11 transfers among them. Rhoades spent the offseason trying to make the group bigger, older, stronger and better from the perimeter.
The men finished the 2025-2026 season 12-20 overall and 3-17 in Big Ten play, and now they’ll open the new year after winning both of their exhibitions. Penn State beat St.
Bonaventure 68-65 in Buffalo on Oct. 17, then followed that up with a 68-57 win over Drexel in Philadelphia on Oct. 26.
Nittany Sports Now will be on hand for both games Monday.
In Other News...
Penn State Faces A Levi Haines Decision That Could Change Everything
Levi Haines is back in the Penn State wrestling conversation at exactly the right time, with the recent World Champion at 79 KG now waiting on eligibility approval under the new five-for-five rule. Cael Sanderson said Haines is attending classes and preparing to wrestle if he is cleared, which gives the Nittany Lions a potentially major boost as they get ready for the season.
Penn State opens against Bloomsburg at Rec Hall, and Haines status is one of the biggest early storylines around the program. A decision on whether he can compete this season would shape both the lineup and the ceiling for a team that already expects to be in the national title mix. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Showed A Different Response When This Big Ten Game Got Ugly
Penn States trip to Purdue had the feel of a game that could have slipped away early, especially after miscues and missed chances kept the pressure on. Rocco Becht helped steady things with a touchdown, and Carson Hansen added a rushing score as the offense found enough rhythm to keep the Nittany Lions moving in a Big Ten matchup that had its rough patches.
Purdue briefly grabbed momentum with a blocked punt that turned into a touchdown, but Penn States defense answered by tightening up and allowing only three points the rest of the way. Matt Campbell pointed to the penalties and the way his team responded, and the bigger takeaway for Penn State was simple: when the game got ugly, it found a way to settle in and finish. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Next Home Test Just Put More Focus On This Season
Penn States next home date now has a little more clarity, with the Nov. 7 matchup against Washington set for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. It is another afternoon slot in a season that has already bounced around the TV schedule, and it gives the Nittany Lions a familiar stage as they try to steady a year that has not gone the way they wanted.
The timing also adds a bit more weight to a game that already carries some intrigue. Penn State enters at 4-4, Washington comes in at 5-3, and both teams are still looking to put a cleaner finish on uneven seasons. With kickoff now locked in, the focus shifts fully to what this one means on the field, and how much each side can still salvage in November. [Read more 🡒]