Penn State Football: Nittany Lions See Changes to 2022 Schedule

Photo by Alysa Rubin | Onward State

Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, Penn State athletics updated its website to reflect several changes to the 2022 football schedule. That updated schedule has since been removed from the website, but a Penn State spokesperson says that the schedule is expected to be officially released Wednesday as the Big Ten announces previously anticipated changes to the 2022 conference slate.

Original Story:

Penn State football has several alterations to its 2022 schedule that include the addition of Northwestern making a trip to Beaver Stadium while Illinois – which Penn State was set to host for a second-straight season – is no longer on the slate.

The Big Ten is expected to officially announce alternations to the conference schedule later this week. The league noted in the fall that it was expecting to announce changes sometime after the conclusion of the 2021 season.

The Nittany Lions will now face Northwestern on Oct. 1 at Beaver Stadium. That date was originally slated for Penn State to host Ohio State in State College but the contest against the Buckeyes has been moved to Oct. 29.

Additionally, Penn State’s off week is now Oct. 8., two weeks prior to its originally scheduled date, meaning that the Nittany Lions will play five straight games to open the year before taking a week off.

Following the bye week Penn State will travel to face Michigan on Oct. 15 in Ann Arbor before returning home to face Minnesota and then Ohio State in back-to-back weeks to close out October. The game against the Gophers was originally slated for later in the year.

Penn State begins the final stretch of the season at Indiana on Nov. 5 before hosting Maryland on Nov. 12. Those games were not altered from the original schedule. On Nov. 19, Penn State faces Rutgers on the road in a game that was supposed to be the season finale.

The Nittany Lions will close out the regular season hosting Michigan State on Nov. 26 in the battle for the Land Grant Trophy. This contest was originally slated for October.

Penn State is still opening the season at Purdue, although a report by On3.com indicated that the Nittany Lions’ season-opening game could be moved to Thursday, giving Penn State a Sept. 1. opening kick date.