The 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by seventh-year head coach James Franklin. On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten Conference canceled all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 16, the Big Ten reinstated the football season, announcing an eight-game season beginning on October 24.