UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State will welcome Rutgers back to Beaver Stadium for the first time in 21 years and play Maryland in M&T Bank Stadium as the Big Ten Conference office on Monday (June 3) announced the 2015 conference football schedule.
During the 2014 season, the Big Ten will welcome a pair of the Nittany Lions' oldest rivals in Maryland and Rutgers, as they join Penn State, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State in the Big Ten's East Division. The 2014 Big Ten schedule was announced on May 16.
The Scarlet Knights will visit Beaver Stadium on September 19, 2015 for the first time since a Sept. 24, 1994 contest. The clash also will be opening game of the Big Ten's 120th football season, as the two border rivals open the conference schedule against each other for the second consecutive year. Penn State's Sept. 13, 2014 contest at Rutgers will be the Scarlet Knights' first Big Ten game. The teams have met 24 times, with the first game in 1918 and the last meeting in 1995 at Giants Stadium. From 1977-95, the Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights played every season except in 1980 and '81.
Penn State will play its Big Ten opener at home in 2015 after five consecutive conference openers on the road from 2010-14.
Coach Bill O'Brien's Nittany Lions also will host East Division rivals Indiana (Oct. 10) and Michigan (Nov. 21), as well as West Division foe Illinois for an Oct. 31 clash during the 2015 season.
Penn State will clash with East Division rival Maryland at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Oct. 24, 2015. The teams will be meeting in Maryland for the first time since an Oct. 2, 1993 contest at Byrd Stadium in College Park. The Terrapins will visit Beaver Stadium on Nov. 1, 2014. Penn State and Maryland have met 37 times, with the first meeting in 1917 and the last contest in 1993, in College Park. From 1960-93, the Nittany Lions and Terps played every year except 1976, `81 and `83.
The game in M&T Bank Stadium will mark the seventh different NFL stadium Penn State will have played in since the 2005 season. During that span, the Nittany Lions also have played in: Sun Life Stadium (2005), the Metrodome (2006), Raymond James Stadium (2006, 2010), Lincoln Financial Field (2007, 2011), FedExField (2010) and MetLife Stadium (Aug. 31, 2013 vs. Syracuse).
The Nittany Lions also will visit East Division rivals Ohio State (Oct. 17) and Michigan State (Nov. 28) in 2015. Penn State and Ohio State have met 28 times, including every year since 1993. Starting in 2014, the Nittany Lions and Spartans will end the regular season against each other as they did from 1993-2010 in the battle for the Land Grant Trophy. Penn State last played in Spartan Stadium in 2009. The Nittany Lions also visit West Division foe Northwestern on Nov. 7, 2015.
Penn State will have one open date during the 2015 campaign and has two non-conference games remaining to be scheduled. The Nittany Lions are scheduled to visit Temple in the Sept. 5 season opener at Lincoln Financial Field. Buffalo (Sept. 12) and two more non-conference opponents also will visit Beaver Stadium in 2015, in addition to the four conference home games.
Big Ten teams will play eight conference games from 2013-15, with a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2016. The Nittany Lions will play their six East Division rivals and three West Division teams that rotate starting in 2016. Penn State and all East Division teams will have five Big Ten home games in 2016 and in even-numbered years thereafter.
The Big Ten will hold the 2013 Football Media Days and 42nd annual Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24 and 25, at the Hilton Chicago, featuring all 12 head coaches and some of the nation's top returning players. The 118th season of Big Ten football kicks off Thursday, August 29.
Penn State returns 16 starters and 38 letterwinners for this season, its 21st in the Big Ten. Season tickets are available for the 2013 campaign. The Nittany Lions will host five bowl teams from 2012, including three teams that finished in the BCS Top 25: Michigan (Oct. 12-Homecoming), Nebraska (Nov. 23) and Kent State (Sept. 21). Purdue, Illinois, UCF and Eastern Michigan also will visit Beaver Stadium this fall.
Penn State opens the season Aug. 31 vs. Syracuse in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Nittany Lion Club members can order tickets for the Syracuse game at 1-800-NITTANY. The public sale for tickets in the Penn State section begins June 17 at 10 a.m. by calling 1-800-NITTANY.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
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2015 Penn State Football Schedule
Sept. 5 at Temple (Lincoln Financial Field)Sept. 12 BUFFALOSept. 19 *RUTGERSOct. 10 *INDIANAOct. 17 *at Ohio StateOct. 24 *at Maryland (M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore)Oct. 31 ILLINOISNov. 7 at NorthwesternNov. 21 *MICHIGANNov. 28 *at Michigan State
* Big Ten East Division game
Note: Two non-conference games to be scheduled