Nothing summed up Penn State’s existential rivalry problem quite like being the only program in the Big Ten to not have a protected rivalry in the conference’s new scheduling format.
There was probably a point in time – given their history and/or location – when Maryland, Rutgers and Nebraska were seen to be Penn State’s obligatory rivals in the once newly expanded Big Ten, but the two eastward programs haven’t landed a meaningful punch in ages and the Nittany Lions simply don’t play a still potentially bad Nebraska program often enough to even let that historic potential grow again. Elsewhere Michigan and Ohio State are too occupied with one another to care *that* much and Michigan State has never really generated any real animosity from Penn State aside from the occasional upset.
Since that last expansion the landscape of the Big Ten has changed drastically from the addition of USC and UCLA to Friday’s news that Oregon and Washington are also set to join the conference in 2024. It is a business move above all else as college athletics continues to compress and future media deals are prospected even as the ink on the new seven-year deal the Big Ten just signed still dries. Adding Seattle, LA and a football hungry Eugene picks up not only four traditionally relevant programs but also nails down the Big Ten’s footprint in key areas. Los Angles may never be a college football city, but pairing the Big Ten Network to future cable, streaming or other packages won’t decrease the eyeball count any either. Much like was the case for the Yankees in New York when Rutgers was added to the fold, imagine a world where in order to get the Lakers on TV, you also have to get the Big Ten Network.
The money aside, Penn State fans may not have a new rivalry in the making with any school half a world away but they can at least float through a rivalry-free world enjoying a few new shiny objects in the meanwhile.
Consider this, Penn State has played USC 10 times, UCLA six times, Washington three times and Oregon on just four occasions. In total the four newest members of the Big Ten having taken on the Nittany Lions a total of 23 times, half as many times as Penn State has played Maryland over the years. Penn State has seen USC and Washington both in recent years, but those postseason clashes have done little to sour the novelty.
Time will tell if Penn State can forge a rivalry with any of these incoming Big Ten brethren, but if the Nittany Lions are destined to be unrivaled, at least all the new faces will be a welcome change of pace for a program that has seen just about everyone over the years.
- Penn State vs Oregon: 3-1 overall record with the most recent meeting in 1995.
- Penn State vs USC: 4-6 overall record with the most recent meeting in 2017.
- Penn State vs Washington: 3-0 overall record with the most recent meeting in 2017.
- Penn State vs UCLA: 2-4 overall record with the most recent meeting in 1968.
