PSU Football
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News—Feb. 3, 2026
PSU-Northwestern Game Shifts to Friday Night Oct. 2
Northwestern University announced Feb. 3 that its game with Penn State will be played under the lights at brand new Ryan Field on Friday, Oct. 2. Game time was not announced, and TV is expected to be either FOX or FS1 (both will be announced at a later date). The game was listed as an Oct. 3 game when the 2026 Big Ten schedule was released on Jan. 27, but it was also marked as a possible Friday “shift” game at that time. The move of this game means that the Nittany Lions will face a short week of preparation following their Big Ten Season opener vs. Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 26.
This will be the first game ever at the new facility assuming that construction is completed on time in mid-September. Two earlier 2026 home games will be played at Northwestern’s temporary lakefront Martin Stadium which is being used during the construction phase of New Ryan Field. The Oct. 2 date coincides, to the day, with the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Wildcats’ previous stadium (originally known as Northwestern Stadium, later Dyche Stadium, and since a 1997 renovation, Ryan Field) in 1926.
Penn State has not played at Northwestern since a 41-13 win in 2023 over the Wildcats at old Ryan Field.
