The Big Ten released Penn State’s 2026 football schedule in January. The opening stretch gave Matt Campbell’s new staff three non-conference games before the Big Ten opener against Wisconsin.
Schedule Overview
Penn State’s 2026 regular season includes seven home games at Beaver Stadium. The non-conference schedule starts with Marshall, a road game at Temple, and Buffalo before the Big Ten slate becomes the main test of Matt Campbell’s first season in State College.
The home conference dates include Wisconsin on September 26, USC on October 10, Purdue on October 31, Minnesota on November 14, and Rutgers on November 21. Road games include Northwestern on October 2, Michigan on October 17, Washington on November 7, and Maryland on November 28.
Penn State lost its Big Ten opener to Wisconsin 24-20 after leading 17-0, then fell 34-13 at Northwestern on October 2. The Nittany Lions are 3-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play entering the October 10 USC White Out. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; the schedule hub has the announced times and results.
September Evaluation Window
The early schedule gave Penn State time to evaluate a reworked roster before conference play became heavier. That matters because the 2026 offense no longer has Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Nicholas Singleton, Vega Ioane, or Drew Shelton.
Rocco Becht’s arrival gives Campbell and Taylor Mouser an experienced quarterback, but the surrounding depth chart still has to settle. September provided an evaluation window for the offensive line, receiver rotation, and rebuilt running back room; the two conference losses exposed how much work remained.
Big Ten Home Tests
Wisconsin was Penn State’s first Big Ten test at Beaver Stadium, and the 24-20 loss exposed problems closing the game. USC visits on October 10 and will give the reshaped offense and defense another major home test.
The Wisconsin recap details the late reversal, and the Northwestern recap covers the second conference loss. USC is the next chance to respond before the Michigan trip.
Road Stretch
The Michigan and Washington road games are the schedule’s defining travel and environment tests. Michigan brings the usual Ann Arbor pressure. Washington adds a long trip and a difficult venue later in the season.
Those road games will test how well the new staff and reworked roster travel after the early home-heavy stretch.
Current Takeaway
Penn State is 3-2 after losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern. USC at home, followed by road trips to Michigan and Washington, forms the next demanding stretch.
Dates and Broadcasts
The official Penn State schedule and the site schedule hub list announced kickoff times and TV networks. Later games without an announced broadcast remain TBA.
For depth-chart coverage, the schedule’s value is timing. It shows when the new offense and rebuilt defense will be tested, not what the final record will be.
Sources
The official Penn State recap confirms the Northwestern result and record. Penn State’s game-theme announcement confirms the USC White Out kickoff and broadcast.