Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Penn State Football Schedule

The Nittany Lions open their first season under Matt Campbell on Sept. 5 against Marshall.

Penn State football fans cheer on the Nittany Lions during a game at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A new era of Penn State football begins in September, when Matt Campbell leads the Nittany Lions onto the field for the first time. Campbell has never attended a game at Beaver Stadium, and his first will be when the Nittany Lions host Marshall in the Sept. 5 season-opener.

Penn State's 2026 schedule represents a mix of opportunity and hidden pitfalls, with road trips to an unfamilar place and a (big) house of horrors. Here's what we know about the schedule along with when we might know more.

Penn State's 2026 schedule

Here's the latest update to Penn State's 2026 schedule with announced kickoff times and broadcast networks. The Big Ten will announce most of the conference games within their six- or 12-day in-season windows. We still expect the White Out to be announced before the regular season kicks off.

Date	Opponent	Location	Time	TV
Sept. 5	MARSHALL	Beaver Stadium	3:30 p.m.	FS1
Sept. 12	Temple	Lincoln Financial Field	Noon	ESPN2
Sept. 19	BUFFALO	Beaver Stadium	Noon	BTN
Sept. 26	WISCONSIN	Beaver Stadium	TBA	TBA
Oct. 2	at Northwestern	Ryan Field	8 p.m.	FOX
Oct. 10	USC	Beaver Stadium	TBA	TBA
Oct. 17	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium	TBA	TBA
Oct. 24	BYE
Oct. 31	PURDUE	Beaver Stadium	TBA	TBA
Nov. 7	at Washington	Husky Stadium	TBA	TBA
Nov. 14	MINNESOTA	Beaver Stadium	TBA	TBA
Nov. 21	RUTGERS	Beaver Stadium	TBA	TBA
Nov. 28	at Maryland	SECU Stadium	TBA	TBA

What we don't know (but expect)

Fireworks burst overhead as the Penn State Nittany Lions take the field prior to a White Out game against the Washington Huskies at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The most important schedule question remains: When is the White Out? It's almost certainly going to be Penn State's game against USC on Oct. 10, but the program (and the Big Ten and NBC/FOX) have been slack to announce it.

This is about the latest Penn State has waited to announce the White Out date, but the options are limited. If it's not the Penn State-USC game (which could go to FOX), then the likeliest candidate is the Nov. 14 game against Minnesota.

However, Penn State-USC makes too much sense for the White Out. Notre Dame plays Stanford at 3:30, and it's the best Big Ten game on the day's schedule. It also marks USC's first visit to Beaver Stadium in 32 years. So we're just waiting on the official announcement.

Elsewhere, multiple key game times remain, notably the Big Ten opener against Wisconsin on Sept. 26. That day's Illinois-Ohio State game screams Big Noon Kickoff, so we expect a 3:30 p.m. kick at Beaver Stadium.

A night game at Michigan, perhaps?

A general view of the kickoff between the Michigan Wolverines and the Bowling Green Falcons at Michigan Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Take comfort that Penn State's Oct. 17 visit to Michigan won't be the Big Noon game, as Indiana hosts Ohio State that day. Which means 3:30 p.m. on CBS seems likely, but what about a night game in Ann Arbor?

Michigan hosts Penn State and Indiana in back-to-back weeks, and one of those games almost certainly will be at night. Penn State is Michigan's homecoming opponent this year, which makes for even more of a compelling night-game case.

What are Penn State's biggest road-game stress points?

A general view of Husky Stadium before a game between the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars. | USA TODAY Sports

On a schedule with some unique challenges, the Nittany Lions' Nov. 7 game at Washington comes to mind as the most important road trip. Penn State has not played at Husky Stadium since 1921 and will play a Jedd Fisch team that went 9-4 last season.

The Washington game also is part of the schedule's most difficult five-game run and is the longest road trip of the season. You won't hear Campbell lament the State College Airport runway issue, but it's still a long, logistically challenging trip.

But Penn State's first Big Ten road game isn't one to dismiss. The Nittany Lions will serve as the opening guest for Northwestern's new Ryan Field on Oct. 2. That's a Friday-night game on FOX, and the atmosphere should be excellent. It's also a road trip on a short week, though the Wildcats visit Indiana the week before, but on Friday.

Did Penn State hit the scheduling "jackpot"?

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from the field during practice at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Big Ten certainly offered Campbell a welcome basket with that schedule. It's statistically one of the easiest in the conference this season. Penn State won't play Indiana, Ohio State or Oregon during the regular season.

The Nittany Lions also don't have to play Illinois or Iowa. That's five of the eight Big Ten teams that won at least nine games last season. Further, Penn State plays four of the five Big Ten teams that lost at least seven games, including 2-10 Purdue.

No wonder Penn State is giving preseason playoff vibes. As FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt said, the Nittany Lions hit the scheduling "jackpot."

"This is the absolute schedule lottery in the Big Ten," Klatt said. "Penn State, I don't know if their team is going to be a 10-win team, but their schedule is a potential 10-win schedule. ... I think they certainly have nine wins on that schedule and possibly 10 and maybe 11. It could be a good year in Happy Valley with Matt Campbell."

"If you would have known this schedule before this hiring process, guys would have clamored to take the [job.]"

More from @joelklatt on who he feels won the schedule lottery in the Big Ten. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/W9UthECEJd

— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) February 2, 2026

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