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Penn State’s 2026 schedule: A trip to the Linc and a visit to Northwestern in debut of new stadium

The Nittany Lions will face Temple for the first time since 2016 and play in a Friday night matchup against Northwestern to christen the newly renovated Ryan Field.

Penn State will open the Matt Campbell era against Marshall at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 5.
Penn State will open the Matt Campbell era against Marshall at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 5.Read moreMatthew O'Haren, Matthew O'Haren

Matt Campbell’s first season as Penn State’s football coach will feature five away games, including a visit to Lincoln Financial Field to face Temple in early September.

Penn State’s full 2026 football schedule was released last week. Three of the Nittany Lions’ first four games will be at Beaver Stadium against Marshall (Sept. 5), Buffalo (Sept. 19), and Wisconsin (Sept. 26), which will open Big Ten play for the team.

The Nittany Lions will face K.C. Keeler’s Owls on Sept. 12, the first matchup between the schools since 2016. Penn State holds a 40-4-1 advantage in their series history, which dates back to 1931.

Penn State will visit Northwestern on Oct. 2 for a Friday night matchup at the Wildcats’ newly renovated Ryan Field. The game was moved after originally being scheduled for Oct. 3. Penn State has not played a Friday night game since 2019, when it beat Maryland in College Park, 59-0.

After facing Northwestern, Penn State will host Southern California (Oct. 10), then travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan (Oct. 17). After a bye week, the Nittany Lions welcome Purdue (Oct. 31), then travel to Seattle to face Washington (Nov. 7) for the first time since the Huskies joined the conference in 2024.

Penn State will round out the schedule with Minnesota (Nov. 14) and Rutgers (Nov. 21) at home before traveling to Maryland to end the regular season against the Terrapins (Nov. 28).

Times and television coverage for each game will be announced later.