It may not feel as though Penn State is a team without a rival. Looking from Happy Valley, there’s plenty of vitriol to go around for Michigan and Ohio State. However, those two programs are laser-focused on each other, so that’s not being reciprocated. And until Penn State can consistently punch back at those programs, it won’t be.Â
So, while rivalries aren’t everything in college football, and are losing a bit of their luster as the sport expands it playoff, devalues the regular season, and generally nationalizes with bloated Power 4 conference, it would still be nice to have another game to circle on the schedule.Â
It won’t happen for a myriad of reasons, but it would be fun for these historic rivalries to make a return.Â
It’s not the same as Penn State playing Pitt, or as Pitt playing West Virginia, but this was a three-way rivalry for many years, and that included an annual matchup between the Nittany Lions and Mountaineers. It was revived for a two-year stint in 2023 and 2024, and Penn State took care of its business, winning both handily. That’d be the case most years, and a loss would be much more costly than a win would be beneficial, but why would Penn State be afraid of losing to West Virginia?Â
The Old Ironsides isn’t going to come back as college football is currently constructed, but in a potential Power 4 Super League with regional reorganization, it would make more sense for Penn State to be paired with more regional opponents like Pitt and West Virginia than tied to Ohio State and Michigan.Â
In a proposed CSFL Super League with 72 teams and six-team mini-conferences, Penn State was included in the Mideast with Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. Along with that being Penn State’s to lose, it would be nice to have those regional rivalries back and a schedule that is more true to the program’s original history.Â
In terms of traditional rivals, Syracuse is actually the program that Penn State has played the second most in its history. But there isn’t much stored-up vitriol for the Orange in Happy Valley. The two programs haven’t played since 2013 and have only played three times since 1990.Â
Notre Dame is No. 19 in terms of all-time matchups for Penn State. The 20th meeting came in the 2024 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl as the Irish narrowly advanced to lose to Ohio State in the title game. Nearly all of Penn State and Notre Dame’s matchups occurred between 1981 and 1992, meeting annually for that stretch.Â
The two independent programs were in the conversation for the national championship for much of that time and had a great back-and-forth. Notre Dame leads the series 10-9-1, breaking the tie in the CFP.Â
Adding Notre Dame to an already difficult Big Ten schedule wouldn’t be the smartest for Penn State. USC doesn’t seem particularly interested in continuing its rivalry with the Irish, and that’s one of the most historic in the sport. Still, it would be nice to have a chance at a measure of revenge for the CFP and for Marcus Freeman constantly plucking top recruits out of PA.Â
This perspective may not be shared because I think we all know that if Penn State really wanted to play Pitt every year, then it would be on the schedule. I understand all the reasons that Penn State doesn’t play Pitt, and agree with them. There just isn’t any advantage to having a middle-of-the-road ACC team that’s going to treat the game like its Super Bowl as a regular fixture in your non-conference slate when you’re, at least ostensibly, trying to compete for national championships.Â
Now, with the ACC expanding to nine conference games and Pitt maintaining its arrangement with West Virginia for the Backyard Brawl, there’s really no way this is going to come back anytime soon.Â
Still, with all of that being said, it was fun for those four Saturdays between 2016 and 2019 when the rivalry made it return. Matchups with Ohio State and Michigan feel big, but that’s mostly tied into the implications for the seasons at large. Those games against Pitt felt big because you just didn’t want to lose to Pitt.Â
For all the potential negatives, I think Penn State fans, who are without a true rival in the Big Ten, could use a marquee event in the state every year, especially considering how poorly Matt Campbell recruited PA in the 2027 cycle.
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