PSU schedules game against Marshall for 2026

Penn State announced today that it will open the 2026 season against Marshall on Sept. 5, in a game that will pit James Franklin against one of his former assistants, new Thundering Herd coach Charles Huff.

Penn State’s only game scheduled for 2026 had been a trip to Temple on Sept. 12. Now the Nittany Lions will be set to open that season with a home game against Marshall, a member of Conference USA.

Huff was an assistant at Penn State from 2014-17 and also worked for Franklin at Vanderbilt in 2011. He was named Marshall’s new head coach in January.

Also in 2026, San Jose State will visit on Sept. 19. So, the 2026 non-conference slate is now set, as the Lions will start off with Marshall at home, travel to Temple and then host San Jose State.

Announced today, as well, Kent State will visit Beaver Stadium on Sept. 21, 2024. That means the 2024 schedule is now complete (see below).

From Penn State’s release at GoPSUSports:

The 2024 matchup with Kent State is a rescheduled game of the canceled 2020 non-conference season due to the pandemic. This will be the seventh all-time matchup between the schools, with Penn State leading the series, 6-0. The Golden Flashes are coming off a 3-1 season in a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a 7-6 year in 2019, which included a 51-41 victory over Utah State in the Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl. It marked Kent State’s first bowl win in school history.

The Nittany Lions will welcome Marshall to University Park for the third time, and the first time since 1930. Penn State has won both matchups against the Thundering Herd, 65-0 in 1930 and 26-7 in 1929. Former Penn State running backs coach Charles Huff is in his first season as head coach of the Thundering Herd.

Penn State’s contest vs. San Jose State is a rescheduled game of the canceled 2020 non-conference season due to the pandemic. This will be the first meeting between the two programs.

These are the future schedules listed in the PSU release today. Note that Virginia Tech is still listed as coming to Beaver Stadium in 2025. Penn State was supposed to visit Virginia Tech in 2020, but that didn’t happen because of COVID. There has been talk from Virginia Tech that it would not return the trip to PSU in 2025, but for now at least, it still remains on the schedule.

2021 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 4       at Wisconsin *
Sept. 11     Ball State
Sept. 18     Auburn
Sept. 25     Villanova
Oct. 2         Indiana *
Oct. 9         at Iowa *
Oct. 23       Illinois *
Oct. 30       at Ohio State *
Nov. 6        at Maryland *
Nov. 13      Michigan *
Nov. 20      Rutgers *
Nov. 27      at Michigan State *

2022 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 3       at Purdue*
Sept. 10    Ohio
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*

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. 11     UMass
Nov. 18      Rutgers*
Nov. 25      at Maryland*

2024 Penn State Football Schedule
Aug. 31      at West Virginia
Sept. 7       Bowling Green
Sept. 14     at Rutgers*
Sept. 21    Kent State
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*

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*
Note: One non-conference game to be scheduled

2026 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 5      Marshall
Sept. 12     at Temple
Sept. 19     San Jose State

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