As students slowly make their way back to Penn’s campus, the fall sports season will already be in full swing for many teams.
Coaching turnovers and new rosters, rematches and new milestones will create exciting matchups for Quakers fans. Here are five can’t-miss games for Penn Athletics fans.
Oct. 10: Road to redemption — men’s soccer
On the heels of back-to-back seasons that ended just short of the Ivy League championship match, Penn men’s soccer enters this fall with unfinished business. The 2022 Ivy League champions fell in the semifinals in the past two seasons, including a loss to Cornell last year that ended Penn’s hopes for a title. The Red and Blue will get a chance at redemption come Oct. 10, facing Cornell again in a rematch that could spark another championship run.
Oct. 12-14: Overseas trip — men’s and women’s golf
In October, Penn golf will compete at one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world, St. Andrews Links Collegiate in Scotland, for the first time in program history. Referred to as the “home of golf,” it is one of the most influential and notoriously difficult courses. Penn will compete against Texas, Washington, and University of St. Andrews in three rounds of nationally televised gameplay through the Golf Channel.
Nov. 14: Homecoming — football
Each of Penn’s last two Homecoming games, while thrilling, ended in overtime heartbreaks for the Quakers. Despite career-high performances from 2026 Wharton graduate Liam O’Brien and 2026 College graduate Jared Richardson, a late field goal gave the Crimson a last-minute edge over the Quakers. This year, with roster changes and a new head coach at the helm, the defending Ivy League champion Crimson will face a completely new team on home turf.
December: The Big 5 Classic — men’s and women’s basketball
In December, men’s and women’s basketball will face off against Philadelphia rivals in the biggest local tournament of the year. Last year, the men’s team fell short of the title after losing to Villanova 90-63 in the championship game, while the women secured fifth place in the tournament.
Feb. 20: The big 100 — men’s basketball
In 1927, Penn beat Yale 26-25 in the first-ever collegiate basketball game played at the Palestra. In February, the Quakers will again face the Bulldogs during the Palestra’s 100th anniversary season.
The contest is all the more exciting after Penn bested Yale, 88-84, in overtime in last year’s Ivy League Tournament championship game. The upset sent the Quakers to their first March Madness appearance since 2018.
