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Penn State 2024-2028 Big Ten football schedules: Lions get revised slate of games; here's who they'll play

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•10/05/23•

GregPickel

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Penn State coach James Franklin on the Big Ten Network set at Big Ten Media Days. (Pickel/BWI)

The Big Ten Conference has announced new league schedules for Penn State and every other team in the league ahead of its four-team expansion in 2024. Previously, new slates of games for the next two years were put out ahead of the arrival of USC and UCLA next summer. But, those had to be revised now that Oregon and Washington are coming aboard, as well.

The Big Ten released every teams home and away opponents for the 2024-2028 seasons. Dates will come at a later time. You can see the full rundown below. Highlights for Penn State include their first trip to battle USC as a conference foe in 2024 plus home dates that year with newcomers UCLA and Washington in addition to Ohio State. In 2025, the Lions will trek to UCLA for the first time since it joined the Big Ten.

Previously, Penn State was to face Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, USC at home in 2024 and Indiana, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin on the road. In 2025, it was to host Illinois, Minnesota, Rutgers, and UCLA while traveling to Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, and USC. The Lions are the only conference team without any protected opponents, which means they aren’t guaranteed to face a single team in consecutive seasons.

“The conference handles all the scheduling,” Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said in July. “James [Franklin] and I laughed, [and said] ‘well, we really are unrivaled. We say it.

“It gets to be a little bit of a political thing, of push and pull, but it is what it is,” Kraft said. “We’ll play whoever. We don’t get to dictate schedules. And it shouldn’t be that way. We’ll line up and play anybody and move on.”

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Penn State will also no longer play the Buckeyes and Wolverines annually. That’s because divisions will go away at the start of next season. The Lions face Ohio State at home in 2024 and away in 2025 and 2028. It travels to Michigan in 2026 and hosts it in 2027.

“I know everyone talks about the Ohio State game,” Kraft said. “I’ve watched those games, and I watched last year’s game, and Michigan. You look at the Big Ten now, every game is going to be a battle. So, I know our fans would probably say Ohio State, they want that game. And, the reality is, we’ll play them. Even without divisions, we’re going to continue to play them. I go back to, and James [Franklin] and I both have the same philosophy: If you get caught up, I don’t think it’s been right that we’ve been on the road, and that will be addressed. I don’t think it’s a fair way of scheduling. There was a miscue.

“But when it comes down to how you’re going to play, who you’re going to play, and when you’re going to play, that’s not our place. We just got to go beat the people in front of us, no matter who it is.”

Penn State 2024 Big Ten opponents

Home

Illinois
UCLA
Ohio State
Maryland
Washington

Away

Minnesota
Purdue
USC
Wisconsin

Nittany Lions 2025 Big Ten opponents

Home

Indiana
Northwestern
Nebraska
Oregon

Away
Iowa
Michigan State
Ohio State
Rutgers
UCLA

Penn State 2026 Big Ten opponents

Home

Minnesota
Purdue
Rutgers
USC
Wisconsin

Away

Maryland
Michigan
Northwestern
Washington

Nittany Lions 2027 Big Ten opponents

Home

Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Washington

Away

Illinois
Indiana
Oregon
Purdue
Wisconsin

Penn State 2028 Big Ten opponents

Home

Indiana
Iowa
Ohio State
Oregon
UCLA

Away

Michigan State
Nebraska
Rutgers
USC

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