Change is coming to the Big Ten Conference.
Yes, there’s an intake of new teams to filter in alongside the existing programs, but there’s also the abolition of divisions and the creation of a new scheduling policy. How does that impact the Penn State Nittany Lions? Below is the list of Penn State’s 2024 opponents.
Penn State 2024 Football Schedule
- at West Virginia Mountaineers
Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 - vs. Bowling Green Falcons
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 - vs. Kent State Golden Flashes
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 - at Minnesota Golden Gophers
To be announced - vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
To be announced - vs. Maryland Terrapins
To be announced - vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
To be announced - vs. UCLA Bruins
To be announced - vs. Washington Huskies
To be announced - at Purdue Boilermakers
To be announced - at USC Trojans
To be announced - at Wisconsin Badgers
To be announced
Under the terms of the Big Ten’s new football scheduling policy, accounting for 18 total teams from the 2024 season onwards, Penn State will face the other teams within the conference at least twice but with a maximum of three matchups within the next five years.
Under the new scheduling policy, each time has the right to protect at least one rivalry game. While Ohio State and Michigan will continue their “The Game” rivalry and the newcomers from the Pac-12 will do the same, Penn State is the only program in the conference without a “protected rivalry” game on their schedule.
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In the first year of an expanded Big Ten schedule, Penn State faces three of the newcomers to the conference. The Nittany Lions will welcome UCLA and Washington to Pennsylvania while they make the 2,572-mile trip to the West Coast to face the USC Trojans.
It’s been over 10 years since Penn State didn’t have both Ohio State and Michigan on their schedule.
However, as a result of the abandonment of divisions within the conference, plus the peculiarities of the scheduling agreement, in 2024 the Nittany Lions won’t face the Wolverines. They won’t face both programs in the same season for the next five years at least.