Penn State men's hockey isn't off to the start it hoped for entering the 2026-27 season, and its place in the Big Ten isn't looking so hot.
The conference is loaded with top tier talent, including No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Wisconsin, and No. 4 Michigan State. Minnesota is also ranked on the USCHO Poll at No. 18. Those four teams lead the Big Ten, respectively, and are followed up by Notre Dame, Ohio State, and finally, the Nittany Lions (2-4) at the bottom of the conference.
Penn State has its first Big Ten matchup of the season on the horizon, facing the Golden Gophers on the road at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn. However, this game will not be nationally televised.
The first time the Nittany Lions get a Big Ten Network slot won't be until the new year. Their series against Ohio State at home on Jan. 8 and 9 is the first time BTN carries one of their games.
Following the home series with the Buckeyes at Pegula Ice Arena, Penn State is back on BTN the next week. For the second contest of its series at Michigan State on Saturday, Jan. 16, BTN will broadcast the game.
The blue and white have eight games on the schedule that BTN will carry, seven of which are home games for the Nittany Lions. The only contest that isn't at Pegula Ice Arena is their matchup with the Spartans mid-February.
Below is the full BTN schedule for Penn State in 2026-27:
- Friday, Jan. 8 - Ohio State at Penn State (6 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, Jan. 9 - Ohio State at Penn State (6 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, Jan. 16 - Penn State at Michigan State (8 p.m. ET)
- Thursday, Jan. 21 - Wisconsin at Penn State (6 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, Feb. 13 - Minnesota at Penn State (4 p.m. ET)
- Friday, Feb. 19 - Michigan State at Penn State (6 p.m. ET)
- Friday, Feb. 26 - Penn State at Ohio State (5:30 p.m. ET)
- Saturday, Feb. 27 - Penn State at Ohio State (6 p.m. ET)
Penn State hockey's games vs. Michigan will not be nationally televised in 2026-27
Michigan and Notre Dame are the only two teams Penn State does not play on BTN this season. The Fighting Irish not being on the network's schedule isn't surprising, though they're a better team to start the season than they were last year. Notre Dame has just three games carried by BTN this season, all of which are in February.
The Wolverines, though, are the top team in the country and they're bound to bring in viewership and excitement no matter who they play. That's why the Fighting Irish play them once on BTN and play Michigan State twice.
Instead, BTN opted to carry all four games vs. Ohio State. The Buckeyes are typically a potential Top 20 team in the nation and can garner some votes after some weeks if they aren't, but a Penn State vs. Ohio State men's hockey matchup doesn't warrant all four contests being nationally televised.
It's a missed opportunity to see the Nittany Lions face the biggest competition in the country. If the season pans out to be similar to its start, fans might need to wait until the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to see Penn State vs. Michigan.
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