Penn State’s Big Ten opener against Wisconsin is set for Saturday night at Beaver Stadium, but fans hoping to catch it on traditional TV are out of luck. The 5 p.m. ET kickoff will be carried exclusively on Peacock, NBC Universal’s streaming platform, as Luke Fickell brings the Badgers into Happy Valley.
A Peacock subscription is required not just for this matchup, but for all “Big Ten Saturday Night” games through the 2026 season. Those weekly assignments are released as the schedule gets sorted out.
Penn State enters the week as a 9.5-point favorite in the conference opener for first-year coach Matt Campbell. The Lions have rolled through most of their non-conference slate at 3-0, with wins over Marshall, 45-0, Temple, 27-9, and Buffalo, 55-13. The lone rough patch came at Temple in Week 2.
Wisconsin comes in after back-to-back wins over Western Illinois, 36-9, and Eastern Michigan, 54-10. The Badgers opened with a 41-13 loss to No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field.
Peacock offers two subscription tiers that include the game. Beyond Big Ten football, the service also carries every Notre Dame game and simulcasts all NFL and college games that air on NBC. It will also stream one Week 17 NFL game, though that matchup has not been set.
The platform’s broader lineup includes shows like The Office, 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, along with newer titles such as Love Island USA, The Traitors and Yellowstone. Its movie library includes Obsession, Disclosure Day and The Endless.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Fans Have Another Reason To Watch Jack Sorgi Closely
Jack Sorgi has given Wisconsin fans plenty to follow this fall, and not just because he is already headed to Madison. The senior quarterback and Wisconsin commit has put together a strong start to his season, piling up 1,401 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns while adding 313 rushing yards and six scores on the ground in five games. He is also completing nearly 70% of his throws and carrying a 124.3 quarterback rating, numbers that help explain why his stock keeps drawing attention.
For Badgers fans, the appeal goes beyond the box score. Sorgi is a legacy recruit, with his father, Jim Sorgi, having played at Wisconsin, and his arrival comes at a time when the quarterback room is expected to be young and competitive next season. That gives his development a little extra weight, because every strong performance now only adds to the anticipation about how quickly he can fit into the program once he gets to campus. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin's Secondary Just Took A Hit At The Worst Time
Wisconsins secondary was already under the microscope early in the season, and now it has to absorb a major blow. Cornerback Cai Bates announced he tore his ACL in Week 2, a development that is expected to end his season and removes a transfer who had been viewed as one of the more promising additions in the defensive backfield. Bates had been lined up for a bigger role, and his absence cuts into both the Badgers depth and their plans for shoring up the cornerback spot.
The timing stings because Wisconsin does not have much proven cover behind the starters, and the path forward gets thinner from here. True freshman Donovan Dunmore is now positioned as the top backup outside cornerback, a lot to ask of a young player in a spot where injuries can quickly expose the rotation. For a defense trying to settle in, losing a potential contributor this early forces the Badgers to keep adjusting on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Earliest 2027 Commit Is Already Showing A Different Edge
Ethan McIntosh and the Verona Wildcats keep rolling early in the season, and the latest step came in a 31-13 home win over Janesville Parker that pushed Verona to 4-1. For Wisconsin, the more interesting part was not just the result but the way McIntosh carried himself inside it, showing a sturdier edge in his play and a growing presence as a leader on the field.
Head coach Andrew Riley has noticed the development, and so has the Badgers recruiting staff, which has already landed McIntosh as the earliest Wisconsin commit in the class of 2027. McIntosh also talked about how tight the Wisconsin offensive line group has become among its recruits, a small but meaningful sign of how quickly the connection is forming before he ever gets to campus. [Read more 🡒]