2026 PSU vs. Wisconsin

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General Pre-Game Information

• Game Four of 2026 season—This is the first Big Ten game of the 2026 season and the conference debut for head coach Matt Campbell. It is also the first of 5 conference home games this fall. Penn State (0-0) is coming off its non-league finale vs. Buffalo and is entering its 34th season in the Big Ten (all-time regular season record: 173-101).This is the third straight year in which PSU has opened its league schedule at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions are 18-15 all-time in Big Ten Openers and 5-6 at home (most recently losing to Oregon, 30-24 in 2-OT in 2025). PSU enters this game riding 3 straight conference wins to close out the 2025 regular season. The Wisconsin Badgers (0-0) are coming off their final non-conference game in Madison vs. Eastern Michigan. The Badgers opened the 2026 season in Green Bay against Notre Dame. This is the Badgers first game outside of Wisconsin this fall. Penn State and Wisconsin last played in 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium (Penn State and Wisconsin have not played at Beaver Stadium since 2018). This is their 21st meeting all-time in the regular season (PS leads 11-9) and their 19th regular season meeting as members of the Big Ten (PS leads 11-7). The Lions have won their last 5 regular season meetings dating to 2012.

• Last PSU Game played (Sept. 19): Penn State X Buffalo X at Beaver Stadium

• Current Rankings: AP Poll-TBA / US LBM Coaches Poll-TBA

• Wisconsin 2025 Record: 4-8 overall, 2-7 in Big Ten (0-5 overall on road)—Head Coach: Luke Fickell (5th season)—Fickell is 0-1 vs. PSU at Wisconsin with a loss in 2024 (he was also 0-1 vs. PSU in his 2011 stint as interim head coach at Ohio State)

• 22nd meeting with Wisconsin all-time (1st meeting since 2024/9th meeting at home): Penn State leads the all-time series, 12-9 (5-3 at Beaver Stadium). The series dates to a 1953 loss at Wisconsin (20-0) which was the first of two road non-conference games (including a 29-16 loss in 1970) ahead of PSU’s joining the Big Ten in 1993. The two first met in conference play in a 1995 loss at Beaver Stadium (17-9) which capped the Badgers longest winning streak in this series at 3. Penn State’s first win in this series came in 1996 at Wisconsin, 23-20. The Badgers have not beaten PSU since their 45-7 romp over Tom Bradley’s group in 2011 at Camp Randall that forged a tie in the Leaders Division and sent Wisconsin to the first Big Ten Championship Game. Penn State has won the last 6 meetings in this series beginning with the 2012 “Mauti Bowl” overtime shocker at Beaver Stadium (PS wins24-21) and including the legendary 2016 Big Ten Championship come-from-behind classic in Indianapolis (PS wins 38-31) for the only conference title in the James Franklin-era. The two have only played 3-times in the decade since with PSU winning in 2018, 2021, and 2024.

• Last PSU Game vs. Wisconsin (2024 at Madison): The #3 Nittany Lions win 28-13 in a game where Drew Allar hurt his left knee on a sack in the final minute of the first half and did not play the second half. Allar looked good up to the injury (14 of 16 for 148 yds., 1 TD before the sack) floating a pass to Nick Singleton for a highlight reel 6-yard TD catch and an early 7-3 lead. Beau Pribula stepped in and had a strong 2nd half performance (11 of 13 passing for 98 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks). Pribula’s TD pass was a one-yarder to a wide-open Khalil Dinkins TE. The defense was solid holding the Badgers to 81 yards rushing (the longest run was a 15-yarder on a fake punt in the 1st period). Jaylen Reed (who was playing the “Lion” hybrid LB-S role) also delivered a pick-6 for a 19-yard TD in the 3rd quarter and was memorably flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after he handed the ball to his mom in the stands. Kaytron Allen RB put a bow on the victory in the 4th when he took a direct snap and dashed 24-yards for the game’s final TD.

• Last PSU Home Game vs. Wisconsin (2018 at Beaver Stadium): The #21 Nittany Lions win 22-10 on a gusty day with freezing temps. Miles Sanders rushed for 159 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown to lead the attack. Trace McSorley passed for 160 yards and a 14-yard TD to DeAndre Thompkins for his then-record tying 29th victory as a QB (matching Todd Blackledge 1979-82 & Tony Sacca 1988-91). The defense sacked Wisconsin’s QB Jack Coan 5 times and he was picked off twice by Nick Scott and Amani Oruwariye.

• Memorable PSU moment vs. Wisconsin: 2012 “Mauti Bowl”—Senior LB Mike Mauti had been “the guy” that held the team together after sanctions were leveled against Penn State in the summer of 2012 as a result of the Sandusky scandal. Mauti’s final season (95 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INTs) would unfortunately be ended a game early when he suffers a knee injury against Indiana. The team and university rally around Mauti for their Senior Day faceoff with Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium. Mauti’s number 42 is added to the left side of every helmet (the first instance of helmet numbering at PSU since 1974). And fellow linebacker Gerald Hodges switches his jersey number to 42 to honor his teammate (story goes that Spider Caldwell’s wife stripped Mauti’s nameplate off his jersey and sewed on Hodges name the night before the game). The athletic department also posted “2012” on the East Suites alongside the other honored seasons. The pressure was now on Penn State to really make it all meaningful by beating the Badgers. Zach Zwinak RB will have the biggest game of his career rushing for 179 yards on 36 carries scoring a TD and a 2-point conversion in the stunning OT victory. The key moment came in the 4th with 13:42 to go and PSU trailing 14-13. Matt McGloin QB has 2 receivers to his left along with Jesse James TE. The Badgers didn’t pressure McGloin and had eyes on everyone except for James who somehow slipped free to his left and was wide open at the 26 when Matt hit him with the pass. James rumbled up the sideline easily beating 2 Badgers to the pylon for the touchdown and the 21-14 lead. Wiscy would tie it late to force overtime, but Sam Ficken’s 37-yard FG was good, and the Badgers’ Kyle French missed from 45. PSU wins 24-21 in a shocker sending a 5-loss Badgers team to the Big Ten Championship Game and eventually the Rose Bowl.

• 1st xx ET kick for PSU in 2026.

  TV/Radio Information

• TV Gameday Announcers: TBA

• First game televised on TBA since xxxx. Last PSU game televised by TBA

• This is the xxxx game this season to be televised on a traditional or non-traditional TV Network—

• Penn State Radio Network Announcers: Steve Jones (PBP), Jack Ham (Analyst), & Brian Tripp (Sidelines). Jones & Ham are in their 27th season in the booth together. Ham, a member of both the CHOF (1990) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988), played linebacker at Penn State (1968-70). Jones (Class of 1980) & Tripp (Class of 2011) are also Penn State grads.