If someone came to you back in August and told you that Penn State and Clemson would be facing off in a postseason game, you likely would've assumed it was happening in the College Football Playoff semifinals — or maybe even for a national championship. Instead, it'll be taking place in a baseball stadium in New York City, two days after Christmas. Life comes at you fast.
Both the Nittany Lions and Tigers may have preferred to take the Notre Dame route this bowl season, but the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl will in fact be taking place. Here's everything you need to know about the history of this game, the teams involved, the odds of Dabo Swinney inventing a new word on national television, how to watch and more ... all in under five minutes.
What is the Pinstripe Bowl?
As the name might suggest, it's a bowl game held at Yankee Stadium, which has been retrofitted into a football field for the occasion. New York City officials began discussing college football's return to the Big Apple in the early 00s, and once Yankee Stadium in opened in 2009, the Steinbrenners agreed to host a bowl game in the offseason.
- Debuted in 2010
- Marked the return of bowl games to Manhattan for the first time since 1962
- Sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers
- Will feature ACC and Big Ten tie-ins
- One of three active bowls played in baseball stadiums (Rate Bowl, Fenway Bowl)
When and where is the Pinstripe Bowl played?
The Pinstripe Bowl is now one of three bowl games played in Major League stadiums, along with the Rate Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix and the Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park in Boston. This does create some pretty funky angles: One endzone is placed near home plate, while the other stretches out toward right-center field, with a bunch of open space between each team's bench and the stands.
- Date: Dec. 27, 2025 (More bowl games on tap)
- Kickoff time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York
- Weather factor: A winter storm warning could bring as much as six to 10 inches of snow to the New York City area overnight leading into Saturday. It should be sunny by kickoff on Saturday afternoon, but with wind chills between 15 and 25 degrees.
Who is playing this year?
While the Pinstripe Bowl doesn't usually make too many headlines, with mid-tier teams from both the Big Ten and ACC, circumstances have conspired to change that in a major way this year. Both Clemson and Penn State entered 2025 with veteran-laden squads carrying national title expectations and preseason top-10 rankings. But both of them just barely eked out bowl eligibility, and it's oddly poetic that they now find themselves facing off several days before New Year's.
Clemson
- Head coach: Dabo Swinney (18th year)
- Record: 7-5 (4-4)
- Conference: ACC
- Last bowl win: 2023 Gator Bowl vs. Kentucky
- Defining trait: Hoping to end on a high note after collapsing under the weight of massive preseason expectations
Penn State
- Head coach: Terry Smith (Interim*)
- Record: 6-6 (3-6)
- Conference: Big Ten
- Last bowl win: 2024 Fiesta Bowl vs. Boise State
- Defining trait: See above about preseason expectations, only with the added bonus of welcoming a new head coach in Matt Campbell as soon as bowl season ends
These two teams have met exactly once before, in the 1987 Citrus Bowl. The No. 14-ranked Tigers punctuated a 10-win season with a 35-10 win over the No. 20 Nittany Lions in Orlando.
Why the Pinstripe Bowl is worth watching
Allow me to answer that question with a single image:
Will the Pinstripe Bowl be good? Probably not: Both of these teams struggled at full strength this year, and now they'll each be down some of their biggest names. Penn State QB Drew Allar is already out with a knee injury, and the Nittany Lions will also be without NFL Draft prospects like running back Nick Singleton, guard Vega Ioane, defensive tackle Zane Durant and safety Zakee Wheatley. Clemson, meanwhile, expects to be down some 10 starters, including defensive linemen Peter Woods and TJ Parker, cornerback Avieon Terrell and receivers Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco.
That said, there will still be some recognizable faces, like Penn State's other RB, Kaytron Allen, and Clemson senior QB Cade Klubnik and RB Adam Randall. Plus, let's be honest: If you're tuning in here, you're doing so for the drama, not the football.
Clemson fans have already started to run out of patience with Swinney, who's won two national titles but seems to have lost his touch of late. Lose here, and a down season will end on an awfully sour note, with a ton of awkward questions about 2026 and beyond. Penn State, meanwhile, is set to begin the Matt Campbell regime as soon as this game ends. Who will impress Campbell, and who can he convince to stick around in Happy Valley? And just how hot will Swinney's seat get this offseason if he loses here?
History and fun facts
- The first Pinstripe Bowl was won by Rutgers, who beat Kansas State back in 2010.
- This is one of just four cold-weather, outdoor bowl games this season, along with the Military Bowl at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, the Fenway Bowl in Boston and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.
- In addition to some nice New Era swag, each team gets a tour of Yankee Stadium and a couple of days hanging out in New York City. But that's not big enough: If this game goes to overtime, we think it should be decided via home run derby.
How to watch
- TV: ABC
- Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio: Varsity Network
The bottom line
The Pinstripe Bowl might not technically mean all that much. But these are two big, proud fan bases, both of which are awfully ornery based on how this season has played out. Plenty of names will be missing, but the logos on the helmets still carry plenty of weight, and neither wants to suffer one final indignity to end 2025. Add in the fact that this game will be played in the cold (and possibly the snow!) in a baseball stadium, and there's sky-high chaos potential here.