Penn State football announces 2025 game themes: When is the Stripe Out, Senior Day, and more?

Penn State football announced earlier this summer that it would hold its annual White Out game when Oregon comes to town for the Big Ten opener on Sept. 27. That is the most popular game theme on every Nittany Lion home schedule. But it’s not the only one, of course. And now, we know what themes will be tied to the other six Beaver Stadium dates on the team’s regular season slate this fall.

The Stripe Out, which is depicted in the photo seen above, will be called for when Northwestern comes to town on Oct 11. That is also Homecoming weekend in State College. And, the Lions will wear their ‘Generations of Greatness’ uniforms that day. Senior Day, which is always the last home date of the year, falls on Nov. 22 when Nebraska and Matt Rhule invade the Lions’ 107,000-seat venue.

The year kicks off with an Aug. 30 date with Nevada that is billed as a ‘107K Family Reunion‘ and celebrates the first game on West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium since the company bought naming rights to it earlier this year. The annual THON game takes place when FIU comes to town Sept. 6. All-U Day, which highlights all of the the university’s campuses, is Sept. 13 opposite Villanova. And, a Helmet Stripe will be called for on Military Appreciation Day when Indiana visits Penn State on Nov. 8.

Expectations are high for the 2025 Penn State football season

Speaking at Big Ten Media Days last week in Las Vegas, head coach James Franklin discussed how his team is approaching a 2025 season that features the highest expectations yet throughout his 12-year Penn State tenure.

“The reality is, when it comes to the Lasch Football Building or when it comes to local, these are always the expectations at Penn State,” he said. “We had what a lot of people would consider a really good season last year. We were a game away from playing for the National Championship, and you could actually make the argument a drive away from playing for the National Championship, but it didn’t feel that way, right? Because the expectations at Penn State are really high. We embrace that. I came to Penn State understanding that and knowing that. Our players did as well. So I think the conversations that you’re talking about nationally are happening, and we appreciate that, but it hasn’t really changed close to home, and it hasn’t changed internally in our program because these are always our expectations.

“Let’s also be honest. It’s a great conversation, but who really cares about preseason rankings? They mean nothing. It’s a good argument to have and everybody has fun with it, but the only rankings that matter are the ones that happen at the end of the season, and that’s what we’re concerned about. The only way we’ll do that is by handling our business today.”