Penn State now knows the shape of its 2026-27 season, and the Big Ten portion has a little bit of everything: a quick December start, a long midseason grind, and a closing stretch that sends the Nittany Lions clear across the country.
The conference opens in familiar fashion with a two-game December burst before the holidays. Penn State gets Nebraska at the Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 8, then heads to Illinois on Dec.
- After that, Big Ten play pauses until Jan. 2, when Oregon visits State College.
From there, the league schedule turns into a test of endurance. Penn State has back-to-back road games three times, and one of those runs gets especially crowded in late January, when the Nittany Lions play four road games in a five-game span. They do get relief on the other side of that stretch, though, with a three-game homestand that includes Saturday dates against Maryland and Ohio State.
February brings another tricky sequence, even if the travel stays manageable around THON at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State hosts Washington on Feb. 17, goes to Rutgers on Feb. 20, then returns home to face Michigan on Feb.
- The Wolverines come to town as the reigning national champion.
The final week of the regular season is a West Coast swing. Penn State plays at UCLA on Feb. 27 and at USC on March 2 before wrapping the regular season at home against Rutgers on March 7.
The Big Ten schedule is only part of the full picture, of course. Penn State’s nonconference slate starts with an exhibition against St. Bonaventure on Oct. 17 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., then continues with games at Drexel and at home against Canisius, Chattanooga, Pitt at The Palestra in Philadelphia, Mercyhurst, New Haven, IU Indy, Memphis in the Battle 4 Atlantis, Mississippi State or Wake Forest in that same event, Albany, UT Martin, Lafayette at Rec Hall, and Saint Joseph’s at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.
Once league play begins, the stretch runs straight through a demanding run of opponents: Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa, Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana, Ohio State again, Nebraska, Washington, Rutgers, Michigan, UCLA, USC and Rutgers one last time.
Last season, Penn State finished 12-20 overall and 3-17 in Big Ten play, which left the Nittany Lions in last place in the conference. Mike Rhoades is 44-52 overall in three seasons leading the program.
In Other News...
Buffalo Coach Sees One Clear Problem With Facing Penn State
Pete Lembo had plenty to say about what Buffalo is walking into at Beaver Stadium, and his breakdown came with the kind of specificity that usually comes only after a coach has spent real time studying an opponent. The Buffalo head coach pointed to Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas, a player he once recruited at South Carolina, and also singled out middle linebacker Kooper Ebel as a steady defensive presence. He did not stop there, either, adding praise for quarterback Rocco Becht and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig as he sized up a roster that looks deep enough to challenge almost every phase of the game.
For Penn State, the interesting part is not just that an opponent noticed the obvious talent. It is that Lembo framed the matchup around the parts of the roster that can tilt a game before the box score ever settles in, from defense to special teams to the quarterback spot. When an opposing coach comes away talking in those terms, it usually means he sees only one clean path for his own team, and it is not the easy one. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Spending Reality Just Raised A Bigger Contender Question
Penn States place in the new college football financial order is getting harder to ignore. The Nittany Lions projected 2026 roster budget sits in the $29 million to $32 million range, a number that leaves them 21st nationally and seventh in the Big Ten, well behind the sports biggest spenders such as Ohio State and Oregon. In a league where roster construction has become as much about money as recruiting, that gap is a real part of the conversation around how Penn State keeps pace.
The roster churn only sharpens the issue. Penn State has 62 new players this season, including 40 transfers, and the program has had to navigate the balancing act of holding onto key contributors while adding talent through the portal. Matt Campbell has managed the budget pressures by keeping important pieces in place and bringing in transfers from his previous team, but the broader question remains whether that approach is enough for Penn State to stay in the same competitive tier as the leagues highest rollers. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State May Have Found Its Next Tight End Problem For Defenses
A new tight end presence has already started to change how Penn State can attack defenses. Benjamin Brahmer, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound transfer from Iowa State, has played two games and wasted little time making himself part of the conversation, catching six of nine targets for 87 yards and three touchdowns while flashing the kind of size and versatility that usually creates problems for opposing coverages.
Brahmers value has gone beyond the stat sheet, too. His strong pass-blocking grade and the trust he earned from quarterback Rocco Becht at Iowa State point to a player who can help in multiple phases, and the early signs around his physical development have only added to the intrigue about how high his ceiling might be at tight end. If this is just the start, Penn State may have found a matchup piece defenses will be forced to account for every week. [Read more 🡒]