Penn State will face USC at Beaver Stadium for the first time since 1994 when the Trojans meet the Nittany Lions on Oct. 10, the Big Ten announced Tuesday night.
USC made their only trips from California to State College in 1993-94, losing 21-20 and 38-14.
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The teams have met four times since then, twice in the New Jersey Meadowlands in 1996 and 2000, in the 2017 Rose Bowl and in 2024 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Penn State won a 33-30 overtime thriller.
The Lions will make their lone West Coast trip of the season when they play at Washington on Nov. 7. It will be their first game in Seattle since 1921.
Penn State opens its first season under head coach Matt Campbell against Marshall Sept. 5 at Beaver Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the teams since they played back-to-back games in 1929-30.
The Lions then make a short trip to Philadelphia to face Temple Sept. 12 at Lincoln Financial Field in their first game in Philadelphia since 2015. Penn State last met the Owls in 2016 in State College.
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Penn State finishes its non-conference schedule the following Saturday, Sept. 19, against Buffalo at home. The Lions haven’t faced the Bulls since 2019.
Penn State opens its Big Ten schedule at home Sept. 26 against Wisconsin, which hasn’t played at Beaver Stadium since 2018.
After their first trip to Northwestern in three years for an Oct. 3 game, the Lions take on USC Oct. 10 at home and Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 17 before their only bye of the season.
Their final five games are Oct. 31 against Purdue at home, Nov. 7 at Washington, Nov. 14 against Minnesota at home, Nov. 21 against Rutgers at home and Nov. 28 at Maryland.
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Penn State will play five teams that qualified for bowl games in 2025-26: Northwestern, USC, Michigan, Washington and Minnesota. The Lions will face four teams that finished in the bottom five of the Big Ten this past season: Wisconsin, Purdue, Rutgers and Maryland.
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Penn State 2026 schedule
Sept. 5: Marshall
Sept. 12: at Temple
Sept. 19: Buffalo
Sept. 26: Wisconsin
Oct. 3: at Northwestern
Oct. 10: USC
Oct. 17: at Michigan
Oct. 24: bye
Oct. 31: Purdue
Nov. 7: at Washington
Nov. 14: Minnesota
Nov. 21: Rutgers
Nov. 28: at Maryland
