What’s going on with Penn State’s Blue-White Game? Matt Campbell offers update
Penn State coach Matt Campbell said details on the 2026 Blue-White Game, the football team’s popular annual scrimmage, will “hopefully” be released early next week — after he and the athletic director continue discussing “what that will look like.”
The athletic department told the CDT in mid-January that Blue-White Weekend — which the annual scrimmage is a part of — was still in the works, but it stopped short of confirming whether the typical scrimmage would still take place. A spokesperson instead would only acknowledge an “event surrounding football” would be held for fans, opening the possibility the scrimmage could potentially be tweaked to a skills-and-drills showcase or something else.
Campbell reiterated that Wednesday, during a press conference on national signing day, although he declined to say what possibilities are being discussed. At this point, he would only say it’s important to the team to be in front of the fans.
“I think it’s really important for this team to be able to get out there,” Campbell said, adding he wants his quarterback to get more comfortable playing in the stadium. “And, again, we’ve got a lot of guys coming off of injury, and so what does that look like? How do we go practice?
“But I think for our fan base to see us on that field, and for us to be able to be out in that stadium with our fans before we play a game, is absolutely critically important. And so we will certainly do something. What that will look like probably will be based a lot on our health of where we’re at at that point, and then making sure we do a great job of getting out there and getting great work in.”
Again, it’s entirely possible the 2026 edition of the Blue-White Game goes on as normal. But Penn State officials have consistently stated they’re exploring related possibilities, and other Power Four programs have already taken the plunge.
Oklahoma’s spring Crimson-Cream Game has become the Crimson Combine, a public practice that features combine-style drills, 7-on-7s and fan contests. Nebraska, Ole Miss and Texas have also given up their spring games for events higher on entertainment and fan-engagement.
Penn State held its first-ever Blue-White Game under head coach Rip Engle in 1951. About 500 fans attended the game and, by the 1980s, tens of thousands paid a few bucks ($3 in ‘81) to see the scrimmage. It’s only grown since, and admission is now free.
The athletic department has typically announced the date of the annual scrimmage in mid-December. But, with Campbell officially becoming coach Dec. 8, that deadline was pushed back. And Campbell said Wednesday that more answers should be released early next week, nearly two months after what’s normal.
Blue-White Weekend, which has long been highlighted by the intrasquad scrimmage, has become a popular time for fans and alumni alike to visit campus during the spring. A block party, autograph session and Beaver Stadium run for the Special Olympics are among the events that fans have historically looked forward to.
The 2026 season will officially kick off Sept. 5, when the Nittany Lions open play at home with a nonconference matchup against the Marshall Thundering Herd.
