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Penn State, Temple will renew their football series in 2026

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State and Temple will renew their football series with two non-conference matchups in 2026 and 2027, the school announced Thursday....

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State and Temple will renew their football series with two non-conference matchups in 2026 and 2027, the school announced Thursday.

The Nittany Lions will visit the Owls on Sept. 12, 2026, and will host Temple on Sept. 18, 2027. It will be the first time the two teams meet since 2016, when Penn State won 34-27.

PSU and Temple have played 45 times overall. Penn State leads the series 40-4-1.

Temple isn’t the only regional foe that will be making its way to Happy Valley in the coming years. Penn State also announced that it will host FCS schools Villanova and Delaware in the years ahead. Villanova will visit Penn State in 2021 and 2025, while Delaware will come to Beaver Stadium in 2023 and 2027.

The Sept. 9, 2023 matchup with the Blue Hens will be the first time Penn State and Delaware have met.

Delaware has played in four FCS National Championship games, winning the 2003 title. Villanova won the 2009 FCS national title.

With Thursday’s announcement, Penn State’s 2021 schedule is complete. The Nittany Lions open the 2021 season at Wisconsin (Sept. 4), and host Ball State (Sept. 11), Auburn (Sept. 18) and Villanova (Sept. 25) during non-conference play, resuming Big Ten action at Iowa Oct. 9. Penn State’s 2018-21 football schedules are available on GoPSUsports.com.

The first-ever meeting with Virginia Tech in 2020 is amongst several marquee non-conference match-ups for the Nittany Lions from 2016-25, in addition to the nine-game Big Ten schedule:

  • Penn State began a four-game home-and-home series with Pitt in 2016 that extends to 2019. The Nittany Lions defeated the Panthers in Beaver Stadium in 2017, play in Pittsburgh on Sept. 8, 2018 (8 p.m.; ABC) and host the Panthers on Sept. 14, 2019 in the 100thall-time meeting;
  • Penn State and Virginia Tech meet for the first time in 2020 (away) and 2025 (home);
  • The Nittany Lions and Auburn play for the third and fourth time overall, but the first time in the regular season, in 2021 (home) and 2022 (away). Penn State posted a 43-14 win over the Tigers in the 1996 Outback Bowl and Auburn earned a 13-9 victory in the 2003 Capital One Bowl.
  • Penn State and West Virginia clash for the first time since 1992 and the 60thtime overall in 2023 (home), with a 2024 contest in Morgantown.

The No. 10/9-ranked Nittany Lions open the season against Appalachian State Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Here are Penn State’s schedules from 2020 through 2025:

2020 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 5       Nevada
Sept. 12     at Virginia Tech
Sept. 19     San Jose State
Sept. 26     Northwestern *
Oct. 3         at Michigan *
Oct. 17       Iowa *
Oct. 24       Ohio State *
Oct. 31       at Indiana *
Nov. 7        at Nebraska *
Nov. 14      Michigan State *
Nov. 21      Maryland *
Nov. 28      at Rutgers *

2021 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 4       at Wisconsin *
Sept. 11     Ball State
Sept. 18     Auburn
Sept. 25     Villanova
Oct. 9         at Iowa *
Oct. 16       Illinois *
Oct. 23       at Michigan State *
Oct. 30       Indiana *
Nov. 6        at Maryland *
Nov. 13      Michigan *
Nov. 20      at Ohio State *
Nov. 27      Rutgers *

2022 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 3       at Purdue*
Sept. 17     at Auburn
Sept. 24     Central Michigan
Oct. 1         Ohio State*
Oct. 8         at Michigan*
Oct. 15       Illinois*
Oct. 29       Michigan State*
Nov. 5        at Indiana*
Nov. 12      Maryland*
Nov. 19      Minnesota*
Nov. 26      at Rutgers*
One non-conference game to be scheduled

2023 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 2       West Virginia
Sept. 9       Delaware
Sept. 16     at Illinois*
Sept. 23     at Northwestern*
Oct. 7         Indiana*
Oct. 14       at Michigan State*
Oct. 21       at Ohio State*
Oct. 28       Iowa*
Nov. 4        Michigan*
Nov. 18      Rutgers*
Nov. 25      at Maryland*
One non-conference game to be scheduled

2024 Penn State Football Schedule
Aug. 31      at West Virginia
Sept. 7       Bowling Green
Sept. 14     at Rutgers*
Oct. 5         Maryland*
Oct. 12       Illinois*
Oct. 19       at Wisconsin*
Oct. 26       Nebraska*
Nov. 9        Ohio State*
Nov. 16      at Michigan*
Nov. 23      at Indiana*
Nov. 30      Michigan State*
One non-conference game to be scheduled

2025 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 6       Virginia Tech
Sept. 13     Villanova
Sept. 20     Rutgers*
Sept. 27     at Illinois*
Oct. 4         Purdue*
Oct. 18       at Maryland*
Oct. 25       at Minnesota*
Nov. 1        Indiana*
Nov. 15      at Ohio State*
Nov. 22      Michigan*
Nov. 29      at Michigan State*

SOURCE: GoPSUsports.com

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