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Penn State schedules Temple, Villanova, and Delaware in the 2020s

The Nittany Lions will renew its series with Temple for a home-and-home in 2026 and 2027, and will host the Wildcats in 2021 and 2025. The Blue Hens travel to Happy Valley in 2023 and 2027.

In a series of scheduling announcements, Penn State said Thursday it will play Temple for two games in 2026 and 2027, and will take on Villanova twice at Beaver Stadium in 2021 and 2025.

The Nittany Lions also announced their first-ever games against Delaware, which will take place in 2023 and 2027 in Happy Valley. They also scheduled Central Michigan for a 2022 contest at their home stadium.

Temple will host the Nittany Lions in 2026 and travel to Beaver Stadium in 2027. The two teams have played 45 times and last met in 2016, when Penn State captured a 34-27 win at home. The Owls broke a 31-game losing streak in the series the previous year with a 27-10 victory at Lincoln Financial Field.

Villanova began its series with Penn State in 1902, but the two teams have played just nine times and last competed in 1951, a 20-14 win by the Wildcats.

"We are excited about the opportunity to get Penn State on the schedule," Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said. "Playing two games in one of the best atmospheres in college football will be a great experience for our team. I think the Nova Nation will be excited to make the trip to Happy Valley. This game makes a lot of sense for us on a number of levels."

The announcement marks the first time Penn State has scheduled FCS opponents since 2017, when the Big Ten lifted the rule banning such a practice. The conference had been concerned that scheduling FCS teams would hurt its teams' strength-of-schedule rating in discussing potential candidates for the College Football Playoff.

However, commissioner Jim Delany said last year that Big Ten teams could play FCS teams in years when the nine-game conference schedule provides four home games for a team. For the Nittany Lions, the four-game conference home slate takes place in odd-numbered years.

The Lions, who haven't played an FCS team since Indiana State in 2011, actually will be playing one in Idaho in the 2019 season opener. The Vandals, however, were an FBS team when Penn State added them to their schedule.