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Penn State ranks No. 17 in ESPN's preseason FPI for 2026

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 11, 2026, 11:15 PM

Last updated Jul 11, 2026

Penn State ranks No. 17 in ESPN's preseason FPI for 2026

Summary

ESPN has placed Penn State at No. 17 in its preseason Football Power Index ahead of the 2026 college football season. The ranking comes after a tumultuous previous season and the hiring of head coach Matt Campbell. With a schedule favoring them and over 20 transfers from Iowa State, expectations for the Nittany Lions have risen. Despite five Big Ten teams ranking higher, this marks a potential improvement from last year when they finished outside the conference's top ten. The official top-25 list has yet to be released.

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Key Details

•Penn State's ranking is a significant shift from last season.
•Matt Campbell was hired to stabilize the program after a difficult year.
•They have a favorable schedule and numerous transfers boosting their roster.
•Only five Big Ten teams are ranked above them in the FPI.

Latest Updates

11:15 PMYahoo Sports — Where Penn State ranks on ESPN’s preseason FPI

What they're saying

"
Penn State didn’t have a ton of expectations for the 2026 season initially, but now the tide has turned and ESPN has them ranked in the top 25.
— Yahoo Sports

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