# List of Penn State Nittany Lions bowl games

The Penn State Nittany Lions football have competed in 55 bowl games compiling a record of 32–21–2 (.600). The Nittany Lions hold a 18–8–1 (.685) record in the major bowls (Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, Peach, and Cotton).
Coach Joe Paterno was responsible for most of these bids and victories, compiling more wins, 24, and appearances, 37, than any other coach in college football history, with a bowl record of 24–12–1 (.662). Paterno also had a record of 13–4–0 (.765) in "major" bowls. Paterno is one of only two coaches in history to have competed in and won all five major bowls with the other being Bob Stoops at Oklahoma.

## Key

Results :
| W | Win |
| L | Loss |
| T | Tie |

## Bowl games

List of bowl games showing bowl played in, score, date, season, opponent, stadium, location, attendance and head coach :
| # | Bowl | Score | Date | Season | Opponent | Stadium | Location | Attendance | Head coach |
| 1 | Rose Bowl | L 14–3 | January 1, 1923 | 1922 | USC Trojans | Rose Bowl | Pasadena | 43,000 | Hugo Bezdek |
| 2 | Cotton Bowl Classic | T 13–13 | January 1, 1948 | 1947 | SMU Mustangs | Cotton Bowl | Dallas | 47,000 | Bob Higgins |
| 3 | Liberty Bowl | W 7–0 | December 19, 1959 | 1959 | Alabama Crimson Tide | Philadelphia Municipal Stadium | Philadelphia | 36,211 | Rip Engle |
| 4 | Liberty Bowl | W 41–12 | December 20, 1960 | 1960 | Oregon Webfoots | Philadelphia Municipal Stadium | Philadelphia | 16,624 | Rip Engle |
| 5 | Gator Bowl | W 30–15 | December 30, 1961 | 1961 | Georgia Tech Yellowjackets | Gator Bowl Stadium | Jacksonville | 50,202 | Rip Engle |
| 6 | Gator Bowl | L 17–7 | December 29, 1962 | 1962 | Florida Gators | Gator Bowl Stadium | Jacksonville | 50,026 | Rip Engle |
| 7 | Gator Bowl | T 17–17 | December 30, 1967 | 1967 | Florida State Seminoles | Gator Bowl Stadium | Jacksonville | 68,019 | Joe Paterno |
| 8 | Orange Bowl | W 15–14 | January 1, 1969 | 1968 | Kansas Jayhawks | Orange Bowl | Miami | 77,719 | Joe Paterno |
| 9 | Orange Bowl | W 10–3 | January 1, 1970 | 1969 | Missouri Tigers | Orange Bowl | Miami | 77,282 | Joe Paterno |
| 10 | Cotton Bowl Classic | W 30–6 | January 1, 1972 | 1971 | Texas Longhorns | Cotton Bowl | Dallas | 70,000 | Joe Paterno |
| 11 | Sugar Bowl | L 14–0 | December 31, 1972 | 1972 | Oklahoma Sooners | Tulane Stadium | New Orleans | 80,123 | Joe Paterno |
| 12 | Orange Bowl | W 16–9 | January 1, 1974 | 1973 | LSU Tigers | Orange Bowl | Miami | 60,477 | Joe Paterno |
| 13 | Cotton Bowl Classic | W 41–20 | January 1, 1975 | 1974 | Baylor Bears | Cotton Bowl | Dallas | 68,500 | Joe Paterno |
| 14 | Sugar Bowl | L 13–6 | December 31, 1975 | 1975 | Alabama Crimson Tide | Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans | 75,212 | Joe Paterno |
| 15 | Gator Bowl | L 20–9 | December 27, 1976 | 1976 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Gator Bowl Stadium | Jacksonville | 67,827 | Joe Paterno |
| 16 | Fiesta Bowl | W 42–30 | December 25, 1977 | 1977 | Arizona State Sun Devils | Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe | 57,727 | Joe Paterno |
| 17 | Sugar Bowl | L 14–7 | January 1, 1979 | 1978 | Alabama Crimson Tide | Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans | 76,824 | Joe Paterno |
| 18 | Liberty Bowl | W 9–6 | December 22, 1979 | 1979 | Tulane Green Wave | Liberty Bowl | Memphis | 50,021 | Joe Paterno |
| 19 | Fiesta Bowl | W 31–19 | December 26, 1980 | 1980 | Ohio State Buckeyes | Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe | 66,738 | Joe Paterno |
| 20 | Fiesta Bowl | W 26–10 | January 1, 1982 | 1981 | USC Trojans | Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe | 71,053 | Joe Paterno |
| 21 | Sugar Bowl | W 27–23 | January 1, 1983 | 1982 | Georgia Bulldogs | Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans | 78,127 | Joe Paterno |
| 22 | Aloha Bowl | W 13–10 | December 26, 1983 | 1983 | Washington Huskies | Aloha Stadium | Honolulu | 37,212 | Joe Paterno |
| 23 | Orange Bowl | L 25–10 | January 1, 1986 | 1985 | Oklahoma Sooners | Orange Bowl | Miami | 74,178 | Joe Paterno |
| 24 | Fiesta Bowl | W 14–10 | January 2, 1987 | 1986 | Miami Hurricanes | Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe | 73,098 | Joe Paterno |
| 25 | Florida Citrus Bowl | L 35–10 | January 1, 1988 | 1987 | Clemson Tigers | Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando | 53,152 | Joe Paterno |
| 26 | Holiday Bowl | W 50–39 | December 30, 1989 | 1989 | BYU Cougars | Jack Murphy Stadium | San Diego | 61,113 | Joe Paterno |
| 27 | Blockbuster Bowl | L 24–17 | December 28, 1990 | 1990 | Florida State Seminoles | Joe Robbie Stadium | Miami Gardens | 74,021 | Joe Paterno |
| 28 | Fiesta Bowl | W 42–17 | January 1, 1992 | 1991 | Tennessee Volunteers | Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe | 71,133 | Joe Paterno |
| 29 | Blockbuster Bowl | L 24–3 | January 1, 1993 | 1992 | Stanford Cardinal | Joe Robbie Stadium | Miami Gardens | 45,554 | Joe Paterno |
| 30 | Florida Citrus Bowl | W 31–13 | January 1, 1994 | 1993 | Tennessee Volunteers | Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando | 72,456 | Joe Paterno |
| 31 | Rose Bowl | W 38–20 | January 2, 1995 | 1994 | Oregon Ducks | Rose Bowl | Pasadena | 102,247 | Joe Paterno |
| 32 | Outback Bowl | W 43–14 | January 1, 1996 | 1995 | Auburn Tigers | Tampa Stadium | Tampa | 65,313 | Joe Paterno |
| 33 | Fiesta Bowl | W 38–15 | January 1, 1997 | 1996 | Texas Longhorns | Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe | 65,106 | Joe Paterno |
| 34 | Florida Citrus Bowl | L 21–6 | January 1, 1998 | 1997 | Florida Gators | Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando | 72,940 | Joe Paterno |
| 35 | Outback Bowl | W 26–14 | January 1, 1999 | 1998 | Kentucky Wildcats | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa | 66,005 | Joe Paterno |
| 36 | Alamo Bowl | W 24–0 | December 28, 1999 | 1999 | Texas A&M Aggies | Alamodome | San Antonio | 65,380 | Joe Paterno |
| 37 | Capital One Bowl | L 13–9 | January 1, 2003 | 2002 | Auburn Tigers | Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando | 66,334 | Joe Paterno |
| 38 | Orange Bowl | W 26–23 3OT | January 3, 2006 | 2005 | Florida State Seminoles | Dolphins Stadium | Miami Gardens | 77,912 | Joe Paterno |
| 39 | Outback Bowl | W 20–10 | January 1, 2007 | 2006 | Tennessee Volunteers | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa | 65,601 | Joe Paterno |
| 40 | Alamo Bowl | W 24–17 | December 28, 2007 | 2007 | Texas A&M Aggies | Alamodome | San Antonio | 66,166 | Joe Paterno |
| 41 | Rose Bowl | L 38–24 | January 1, 2009 | 2008 | USC Trojans | Rose Bowl | Pasadena | 93,293 | Joe Paterno |
| 42 | Capital One Bowl | W 19–17 | January 1, 2010 | 2009 | LSU Tigers | Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando | 63,025 | Joe Paterno |
| 43 | Outback Bowl | L 37–24 | January 1, 2011 | 2010 | Florida Gators | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa | 60,574 | Joe Paterno |
| 44 | TicketCity Bowl | L 30–14 | January 2, 2012 | 2011 | Houston Cougars | Cotton Bowl | Dallas | 46,817 | Tom Bradley |
| 45 | Pinstripe Bowl | W 31–30 OT | December 27, 2014 | 2014 | Boston College Eagles | Yankee Stadium | Bronx | 49,012 | James Franklin |
| 46 | TaxSlayer Bowl | L 24–17 | January 2, 2016 | 2015 | Georgia Bulldogs | EverBank Field | Jacksonville | 58,212 | James Franklin |
| 47 | Rose Bowl | L 49–52 | January 2, 2017 | 2016 | USC Trojans | Rose Bowl | Pasadena | 95,128 | James Franklin |
| 48 | Fiesta Bowl | W 35–28 | December 30, 2017 | 2017 | Washington Huskies | University of Phoenix Stadium | Glendale | 61,842 | James Franklin |
| 49 | Citrus Bowl | L 24–27 | January 1, 2019 | 2018 | Kentucky Wildcats | Camping World Stadium | Orlando | 59,167 | James Franklin |
| 50 | Cotton Bowl Classic | W 53–39 | December 28, 2019 | 2019 | Memphis Tigers | AT&T Stadium | Arlington | 54,828 | James Franklin |
| 51 | Outback Bowl | L 10–24 | January 1, 2022 | 2021 | Arkansas Razorbacks | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa | 46,577 | James Franklin |
| 52 | Rose Bowl | W 35–21 | January 2, 2023 | 2022 | Utah Utes | Rose Bowl | Pasadena | 94,873 | James Franklin |
| 53 | Peach Bowl | L 25–38 | December 30, 2023 | 2023 | Ole Miss Rebels | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta | 71,230 | James Franklin |
| 54 | Fiesta Bowl | W 31–14 | December 31, 2024 | 2024 | Boise State Broncos | State Farm Stadium | Glendale | 63,854 | James Franklin |
| 55 | Orange Bowl | L 24–27 | January 9, 2025 | 2024 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens | 66,881 | James Franklin |