Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades didn’t just miss March Madness in Year 2 of his tenure in Happy Valley, he fell short of the Big Ten Tournament (and wasn't happy about it). After a hot start in the non-conference, the Nittany Lions won just six games in Big Ten play and slumped to 16 overall wins for the second consecutive year.
Penn State has never been a basketball powerhouse in the Big Ten, and winning has only gotten more difficult with the arrival of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington, but last year’s disastrous result will have Rhoades under significant pressure in Year. And now he knows the conference opponents that he’ll have to navigate through.
On Tuesday, the Big Ten announced the men’s basketball opponents for 2025-26, a moment that draws more attention than ever with the conference now stretching from coast to coast. Travel is a massive factor in Big Ten basketball, and while they don’t know when just yet, the Nittany Lions will be heading back out west after visiting Southern California last season.
Penn State men’s basketball set to host UCLA/USC, visit Oregon/Washington
Penn State will host UCLA and USC for the first time in Happy Valley next season, sparing itself from a trip to Los Angeles, but the Nittany Lions will visit the Pacific Northwest with road games scheduled against the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies. Penn State hosted both Oregon and Washington last season, dropping both games by a combined three points.
Here is every opponent Penn State will face on the road in 2025-26:
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Nebraska
- Northwestern
- Oregon
- Purdue
- Washington
And every opponent Penn State will host next season:
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Michigan State
- Minnesota
- UCLA
- USC
- Wisconsin
There are also three teams on Penn State’s schedule that Penn State will play both at home and away:
- Michigan
- Ohio State
- Rutgers
While Ohio State and Rutgers are not particularly difficult opponents for the Nittany Lions to see twice on their schedule, two games against Michigan will likely mean two additional losses for Rhoades.
Michigan head coach Dusty May loaded up his roster heading into Year 2 in Ann Arbor, replacing stars like Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin with incoming transfers Yaxel Lendeborg from UAB, Morez Johnson Jr. from Illinois, Aday Mara from UCLA, and Elliot Cadeau from North Carolina. May is one of the best at attacking the transfer portal and will enter next season as one of the favorites to win the Big Ten.