Penn State is beginning to piece together its 2025-26 schedule, and a Big East opponent is expected to be a part of it. The Nittany Lions are set to play Providence at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena in November, Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today reported on Friday.
An official date has yet to be announced. The Friars become Penn State’s first known opponent for next season, but more should be announced in the coming months. The Big Ten will likely unveil its complete conference schedule in September.
Mike Rhoades is entering his third year as head coach of the Nittany Lions, who finished with a 16-15 record this past season and didn’t qualify for the 15-team Big Ten Tournament. Providence is coming off a disappointing 12-20 season in the second season under head coach Kim English.
The two programs have met just once before, a 55-52 Penn State victory at the Puerto Rico Tip Off in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 16, 2012. The Nittany Lions last faced a Big East team on Nov. 24, 2023, when it sustained an 88-78 loss to Butler at the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida.
Penn State won 10 of its 11 non-conference games this past season, its lone defeat coming against Clemson on Nov. 26. Despite the strong start to the year, Rhoades’ program faced significant adversity once January began, losing 13 of its final 17 games.
The Nittany Lions will be without at least eight players from last year’s team. Ace Baldwin Jr., D’Marco Dunn, Nick Kern Jr., Puff Johnson and Zach Hicks have run out of eligibility while incoming sophomores Jahvin Carter, Miles Goodman and Hudson Ward have entered the transfer portal.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State’s starting center, has declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility to return to the Nittany Lions. Whether Niederhauser stays or departs, Rhoades will need to add a handful of players via the transfer portal to pair with his program’s three-player incoming recruiting class.
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