These are not New Year’s resolutions.
I recognize you’re also probably reading this seven days into the New Year because I’m writing this six days into 2026.
But nonetheless, it is still early in the year – early enough that we can talk about the year ahead for Penn State athletics.
There will be some big changes and big events in 2026. There may even be some big moments too. Below are a handful of thoughts about the year ahead for Penn State athletics.
• One of the biggest moments of the year will come when Penn State’s new fiscal year starts in July. That will be when adidas becomes Penn State’s official athletics department apparel provider. (Our standards board at SSSWS has decided to go with adidas and not Adidas as the capitalization best practice.)
Much hubbub was made about this change and rightfully so. Penn State and Nike have been partners dating back to the 1980s. But as that relationship waned, Pat Kraft inked a new deal with the three stripe brand for $300 million.
And in 2026, Penn State will start to notice the changes around that. The most obvious will be the fact that Penn State will use adidas to provide its team apparel, the whole point of the deal. But that offers a time for change.
Will Penn State unleash new wordmarks or will Penn State keep that the same ones from the Nike era? What will non-football uniforms look like? Every team on campus will get some sort of a refresh but just how big of a refresh will that be and how much will the three stripes that define the adidas brand show up on sleeves and seams of jerseys? Additionally, will we finally see the long-rumored, long-dreamt of pink and black football uniforms? (Apparently, new Penn State head coach Matt Campbell was a big fan of black uniforms at Iowa State.)
The adidas deal doesn’t just impact players as well. Penn State fans will have the opportunity to buy new gear from the brand. That will also bring increased revenue into Penn State. It will be interesting to see how much of that is initially available and if there is a ramp-up period for that. Oftentimes, when new branding is rolled out, it takes time to get onto shirts, jerseys and hoodies. That will be something to keep an eye on in 2026.
• I’m interested in how Penn State also showcases the imagery from the Nike era in the adidas one. One of the favorite shots in the football pregame pump-up videos has been the shot of Joe Paterno’s Nike shoes.
• Right before adidas takes over, I am interested to see what and how Nike handles the transition. Stores like Dick’s and Fanatics have seemingly had lower prices on Penn State Nike gear, particularly around the holiday season. Will those discounts continue and will there be a secondary market for those items which will eventually be looked at as “retro” by the end of the year? I have to think so.
• I’m also interested in how that impacts stores downtown that do and don’t sell the Nike-branded items. Family Clothesline has been one of the long-term rights holders to sell swoosh-ified merchandise, along with Lions Pride.
• 2026 will be a year where Penn State occupies other spaces. Some of that kicked off when Penn State women’s basketball effectively moved back into Rec Hall this season. And Penn State wrestling has never had more matches at the Bryce Jordan Center than it has this season.
But the crown jewel of teams playing in unusual locations on campus will come on this month’s final weekend when Penn State’s hockey teams play games at Beaver Stadium. The women will take on Robert Morris on Friday afternoon and the men will follow on Saturday. Initially, the event was planned to be a doubleheader with both teams playing Saturday. But with the women’s team having maybe its best season yet and a massive opportunity to showcase the program ahead of a well-attended men’s game, this feels like a miss to split them across two days – especially a work day.
Regardless, this will be a big moment in Hockey Valley history. It may also be a dry run for Penn State to host an NHL outdoor game after the stadium renovation is complete in 2027.
A reminder that Kraft has been adamant about using Beaver Stadium for more than just football.
• I am interested in the gameday experience that day. Will all of the concession stands be open? Will there be special merch? I spotted this shirt on Fanatics earlier this week.
• Along those lines, a very early prediction for 2027. We will see either a wrestling match or a women’s volleyball match inside Beaver Stadium once the renovation is complete. Remember: There were some rumors about the wrestling match in particular, thanks to Carter Starocci.
• That being said: Why hasn’t Penn State women’s volleyball played at the BJC yet? That seems possible for 2026. It is still the most popular women’s sport on campus. This feels like a miss that this hasn’t happened yet.
• Penn State baseball also joins the ranks of playing games in non-normal locations. They will take part in the first Division I baseball games played on the islands of the Bahamas. My big prediction for them in 2026? They make the NCAA Tournament.
• My other big prediction: The football gameday experience and presentation will be different in 2026. It will be even more different in 2027. This will be Deputy AD for Strategic Engagement and Brand Advancement Leah Beasley’s first full season on the job. (That long title essentially means she helps design the gameday experience.) As she told us on the podcast, she spent much of 2025 taking notes. And one has to imagine she will do something with them in 2026.
• We know that Penn State will not be raising ticket prices ahead of the 2026 football season. However, I am interested to see if there are any Legacy Fund increases. I’m also interested to see if the Big Ten-leading parking costs increase as well.
• It will be interesting to see what Beaver Stadium looks like in 2026. Beside some interesting smells, it seems like the temporary bleachers went off without a hitch in 2025. But as Penn State continues to work on that area, I’m interested to see what the seating situation will be there. This is on my radar to look into.
• Kraft wants four national titles in the same academic year. So far Penn State has 0. We can all but guarantee wrestling at this point. But it will take some luck with both men’s and women’s hockey teams, and after that, I’m not sure where the fourth would come from. I think this watch may start over in the fall of 2026.
• Kraft is also facing at least two more hiring decisions. The field hockey position is open after Lisa Bervinchak Love’s contract was not renewed. And Penn State men’s volleyball head coach Mark Pavlik will hang up the whistle after this season (probably to watch his beloved Pirates a bit more).
• I am interested to see, now that football season is over, how expectations and even conversations around the men’s hockey team grow. With Penn State men’s basketball struggling and Penn Staters now generally knowing who Gavin McKenna is, there will be more eyeballs on that team this year.
• An interesting part of a new era of Penn State football is how it impacts the media. It will be interesting to see how Campbell handles a bigger beat following him and what policies and procedures change for the beat. Hopefully, that is a positive for Penn State media which trickles down to Penn State fans. That’s something worth keeping an eye on in 2026.
• One other Campbell policy change thought: Will Penn State football have a spring game in 2026? It appears Campbell is not a fan of them. However, there are economic implications there for more than just the football team. One would have to imagine there will be answers on that soon. The biggest difference is now there is no second portal window in the spring. So this could calm some nerves there.
• And when will Penn State play its football games in 2026? I have no clue. One would have to assume the schedule is coming after the College Football Playoff National Championship now that a Big Ten team is guaranteed to appear.
That’s it. Those are the initial set of random thoughts for 2026. What are you most looking forward to in 2026 at Penn State? Let us know by emailing me at darian@stuffsomerssays.com.
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