ICYMI: Penn State basketball drops non-conference schedule

Mike Rhoades and Penn State basketball have more clarification on their 2024-25 schedule heading into the fall. Last Thursday, the Nittany Lions released the non-conference portion of their slate for the upcoming season. The 11-game selection includes an early-season tournament, a neutral court series, and several power conference opponents.

Who will Penn State basketball play?

Mike Rhoades will enter year two in Happy Valley, hoping to guide Penn State basketball to the postseason. To achieve that goal, success in the non-conference will be paramount for Rhoades and the Nittany Lions.

Penn State opens the season with three straight home games, starting with Binghamton on November 4. The Nittany Lions then face UMBC on November 8 and Saint Francis on November 12.

The Blue and White will leave the confines of the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time on November 15 when they travel to Baltimore, Maryland, to participate in the Hall of Fame Series. Penn State will face the Virginia Tech Hokies in a doubleheader that also features a matchup between Virginia and Villanova.

The Nittany Lions return home to take on Purdue Fort Wayne on November 20 in the on-campus portion of the Sunshine Slam. A Thanksgiving week trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, follows, where they will face Fordham (November 25) and then either Clemson or San Francisco (November 26) to conclude the tournament.

Penn State basketball returns to the BJC on December 1 to host Buffalo, a game that will pit Mike Rhoades against Bulls head coach and fellow Schuylkill County native George Halcovage III.

The Nittany Lions play Coppin State on December 14, then travel to Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center to face Drexel on December 21. The non-conference schedule concludes with a home matchup against Penn on December 29.

Another weak non-conference slate for the Nittany Lions

Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State basketball once again has undelivered with a relatively lackluster non-conference schedule. Only two out of the 11 games are against power conference opponents. While this most likely means that the Nittany Lions should have at least a 9-2 record before Big Ten play, it also hurts their tournament resume and spectator interest.

The only two games that likely generate interest are at neutral site locations, one of which is well outside the program’s geographical footprint in Florida. While Penn State has a strong alumni base in Baltimore for the Virginia Tech game and Philadelphia for the Drexel game, the scheduling still leaves a lot to be desired.

Villanova, Temple, and Pitt are all local programs that could be tapped in an attempt to add more prominent games to the non-conference schedule. For example, Ohio State plays five power conference opponents, such as at Texas A&M and hosting Pitt. Michigan plays six power conference opponents, including TCU at home.

This isn’t to say that Penn State basketball must load up the non-conference slate. But having one home and away game each season against a power conference team would not only help the strength of schedule, but also drive excitement around the program and attendance at these early season matchups.

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