Pack your bags for Tampa, folks!

Penn State football has earned a spot in the 2022 Outback Bowl. The Nittany Lions will face Arkansas at noon on January 1, 2022, at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 that afternoon.

Arkansas, ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 21 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, boasts an 8-4 record so far this season with wins over four ranked teams. The Razorbacks went just 4-4 in conference play but finished the season on a high note with a 34-17 win over Missouri and a close loss to No. 1 Alabama.

In the grand scheme of things, the Outback Bowl matchup will mark Penn State’s first game against Arkansas in program history. The Nittany Lions are 24-23 all-time against SEC teams.

James Franklin’s program posted a 7-5 record in 2021 with ranked wins over No. 12 Wisconsin and No. 22 Auburn. The Nittany Lions sputtered following a 5-0 start, though, and wound up with a disappointing 4-5 record in conference play, including a nine-overtime loss to Illinois at Beaver Stadium. January’s matchup with Arkansas will feature Penn State’s seventh ranked opponent this season.

Dating back to 1996, Penn State has logged four Outback Bowl appearances. The Nittany Lions topped No. 16 Auburn 43-16 in 1996, beat Kentucky 26-14 in 1999, defeated No. 17 Tennessee 20-10 in 2007, and fell to Florida 37-24 in 2011.