Big Ten · State College, Pennsylvania
Penn State Football
2026 college football program hub
The short version
Penn State football in 2026
Penn State is 3-2 through 5 completed games: 3 wins, 2 losses.
Latest confirmed result: Penn State lost to Northwestern Wildcats, 13-34, on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Penn State plays next against Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, October 17, 2026, on the road. The kickoff time is TBD. TV coverage is TBD.
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2026 season
Big Ten football
3-2 current recordHead coach
Matt Campbell
Leading the Penn State Nittany Lions through the 2026 season.
Program profile
State College, Pennsylvania
Penn State
In pictures
PSU on game day
Program background · Reviewed 2026-09-01
A new regime in Happy Valley
Penn State opens its 137th season under its 17th head coach. Matt Campbell arrives after a decade building Iowa State into a consistent Big 12 contender. He replaces James Franklin, who was dismissed six games into 2025 after twelve seasons and has since taken the Virginia Tech job. Terry Smith served as interim through the Pinstripe Bowl, which Penn State won 22-10 over Clemson to close the year with four straight victories.
Campbell brought much of his Iowa State staff with him, and quarterback Rocco Becht followed. Only one coordinator was retained, so almost everything about how this team plays is new.
Program background · Reviewed 2026-09-01
The staff Campbell built
Taylor Mouser runs the offense after ten years on Campbell's Iowa State staff, the last two as coordinator. D'Anton Lynn takes over the defense, returning to his alma mater after two seasons in the same role at USC. Justin Lustig, the one holdover, stays as special teams coordinator following a 2025 season in which his unit rated among the best in the country.
The rest of the staff mixes Campbell loyalists with outside hires: Ryan Clanton on the offensive line, Deon Broomfield with the safeties, Ikaika Malloe on the defensive line after two years coordinating UCLA's defense.
Program background · Reviewed 2026-09-01
The 2026 schedule
Three straight non-conference games open the year — Marshall at home, then Temple, then Buffalo — before Wisconsin arrives for the Big Ten opener.
October is the test: USC at home, then a trip to Michigan. Penn State starts the year ranked No. 18 in the AP poll, and how a new staff handles that stretch will decide whether it climbs.
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More on PSU
Players
Roster
Published player records by position group, with available class years, measurements, and hometowns.
Staff
Coaches
Matt Campbell and the published staff directory.
Numbers
Season stats
Confirmed results, points scored and allowed, and per-game scoring averages.
Archive
Program history
Championships, milestones, and the program’s history.
League
Big Ten
The rest of the conference and how the title race is shaping up.
Nearby
Teams in Pennsylvania
Other programs in the same state, if you follow more than one.
FAQ
PSU frequently asked questions
What is the PSU 2026 football record?
Penn State is 3-2 through 5 completed games: 3 wins, 2 losses.
When does PSU play next?
Penn State plays next against Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, October 17, 2026, on the road. The kickoff time is TBD. TV coverage is TBD.
Who coaches Penn State?
Matt Campbell is the head coach.
What conference does PSU play in?
Penn State competes in the Big Ten.
Why did Penn State fire James Franklin?
He was dismissed in October 2025, midway through his twelfth season, after three straight losses including an upset by an unranked UCLA while Penn State was ranked seventh. The deeper reason was a record of 1-18 against top-ten Big Ten opponents. Franklin is now head coach at Virginia Tech.
What was Penn State's record last season?
The season was salvaged by interim coach Terry Smith, who won the last four games including a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson after Franklin's dismissal. Penn State had entered the year as a national title contender before the collapse.
Why is Penn State expected to improve in 2026?
ESPN picked the Nittany Lions as one of the two most improved teams in the country. The case rests on an unusually complete roster overhaul: Campbell brought 43 transfers, including a quarterback, running back, receiver and tight end who all slot straight into the starting lineup.
What is the biggest question facing Penn State in 2026?
Whether Campbell can win the games Franklin could not. Penn State went 101-27 against teams other than Ohio State and Michigan under Franklin while going 1-11 against Ohio State — the pattern that got him fired. Beating good teams, not merely beating most teams, is the standard here.
Where does Penn State play its home games?
Beaver Stadium in University Park, one of the largest venues in the sport. The stadium is partway through a major revitalisation project, with new club seating scheduled to come online for the 2027 season.
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