The Penn State Nittany Lions have added the UMass Minutemen to their 2028 football schedule, FBSchedules.com has learned.
Penn State will host UMass at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa., on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2028. The Nittany Lions will pay the Minutemen a $1.6 million guarantee for the contest, according to a copy of the contract obtained from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, via a public records request.
Last season, UMass traveled to University Park and was crushed by Penn State, 63-0. The Minutemen received $1.6 million for their efforts, which is the same amount they will earn for the contest in 2028.
In their only other matchup on the gridiron, Penn State defeated UMass 48-7 in 2014.
UMass is currently a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Independent, but it will join the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member beginning on July 1, 2025.
The addition of UMass tentatively completes Penn State’s 2028 non-conference football schedule. The Nittany Lions are scheduled to open the season at home against the Ball State Cardinals on Sept. 2 before traveling to face the Syracuse Orange the following week on Sept. 9.
In Big Ten action in 2028, Penn State is slated to host Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, and UCLA and travel to Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, and USC.
Penn State is the second non-conference opponent scheduled for UMass in 2028. The Minutemen are slated to open the season at the Colorado Buffaloes on Sept. 2.
Football Schedules