Penn State gets another big-stage test Friday night when the No. 12 Nittany Lions meet No.
4 Stanford at The Palestra in Philadelphia. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
ET, with the match airing on BTN and available to stream on-demand.
For Penn State, the trip to The Palestra adds another first to a season already building a few of them. The Nittany Lions are playing at the venue for the first time in program history after earlier this month taking part in a nationally televised matchup with third-ranked Kentucky at Wrigley Field in Chicago. That one ended in a 3-1 loss, but Penn State answered with a 3-0 road win over DePaul on Monday to move to 4-1 before facing yet another top-five opponent.
Stanford comes in with the same 4-1 record and has already put together a schedule full of ranked competition. The Cardinal beat No.
6 Wisconsin and No. 15 Kansas by 3-1 scores at Pittsburgh’s Opening Spike Classic in August, then dropped a 3-1 match to No.
19 Texas A&M in Orlando on Wednesday. Stanford will remain in Pennsylvania after Friday’s match and play Ohio in Penn State’s Rec Hall on Sunday.
If you’re looking for ways to watch without cable, there are a few live-stream options. FuboTV offers a free trial and lists first-month discounts on its Pro, Elite and Deluxe plans, with monthly pricing increasing after the introductory offer.
DirecTV also has a 5-day free trial and $30 off over the first three full months for the Choice Package, which includes 125-plus channels and access to ESPN Unlimited. SlingTV is offering a low intro rate as well, with the first full month starting as low as $29.99 on its Orange & Blue Plan, plus day, three-day and seven-day passes.
In Other News...
How Penn States Most Iconic Chant Became Part Of Its Identity
Long before it became the kind of rallying cry that can shake Beaver Stadium, Penn States We Are chant started as a direct answer to what the cheer squad heard from Ohio State fans. In 1975-76, looking for something that could match a rivals famous rhythm and energy, the squad worked through the idea by trial and error until it felt right. By the time the Nittany Lions opened the 1976 season against Stanford, the chant was ready for the crowd.
What followed was bigger than a simple game-day gimmick. The line took hold, spread through the fan base and settled into the schools identity, turning into one of those traditions that feels as much a part of Penn State as the colors and the stadium itself. Even now, decades later, the chant still carries the same easy power it did when it was first introduced, a reminder that some of the most enduring college football customs begin as an attempt to keep up with somebody else. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Answered Early Mistakes But One Offensive Concern Remains
Penn State had every chance to let the first half get away at Lincoln Financial Field, but instead steadied itself quickly against Temple and went into halftime with a 10-3 lead. After shaking off the early adversity, the Nittany Lions answered with a field goal and a touchdown drive, giving their offense something to build on even as Temple made things uncomfortable in spots and kept Koby Howard in check after his initial long catch.
The bigger concern for Penn State was inside the red zone, where the ground game found some room but did not finish often enough. The Nittany Lions turned three chances into only one touchdown, leaving points on the field despite moving the ball well enough to create scoring opportunities. For a team trying to clean up its execution, that kind of inefficiency is the detail worth watching as the game moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Showed Exactly How Much Rocco Becht Already Means
Rocco Becht has become one of the defining reasons Penn State has settled in so quickly this season, and the reaction around him against Temple only reinforced it. When the quarterback was hit late out of bounds, his teammates and coaches were quick to step in and make their feelings clear, a flash of protectiveness that spoke as much about the locker room as it did about Bechts role in it.
Matt Campbell pointed to that response as a sign of the teams unity and togetherness, which has been a theme all year as Becht has looked sharper and healthier than he did during earlier injury-plagued stretches. His growth has given Penn State a steadier center of gravity on offense, and the way the group rallied around him in the moment suggested his value goes well beyond the stat sheet. [Read more 🡒]