DECEMBER 7, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY AND PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY ACCEPT INVITATIONS TO PLAY IN THE
2025 BAD BOY MOWERS PINSTRIPE BOWL ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, AT YANKEE STADIUM
Clemson University and Pennsylvania State University today accepted invitations to play in the 202**5 Bad Boy Mowers** Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Saturday**, December 2**7**, with kickoff scheduled for 12:**00 p.m. (ET) on ABC. This year marks the 15th edition of the game and the 11th consecutive Pinstripe Bowl to feature competitors from the Big Ten and ACC. The matchup will mark the second all-time meeting between Clemson and Penn State. The Tigers and Nittany Lions previously faced off in the 1988 Citrus Bowl, which Clemson won, 35-10.
A virtual (Zoom) press conference with the teams’ head coaches and athletic directors, along with Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Executive Director Mark Holtzman, will be held on Tuesday, December 9, at 10:00 a.m. ET. Further information will be provided in a separate release.
Additionally, details related to the bowl game credential application process will be sent in a separate media advisory.
Assets related to the game (bowl/team logos, photos of Clemson/Penn State players & head coaches,
Pinstripe Bowl history & all-time records) may be found HERE
Clemson will make its 52nd all-time bowl appearance (27-24) and 22nd under Head Coach Dabo Swinney (12-9), who has led the Tigers to two College Football Playoff National Championships (2016 & ’18) and four championship game appearances (also 2015 & ’19). Since taking over as the interim head coach midway through the 2008 season (was promoted to head coach on Dec. 1, 2008), Swinney has led the Tigers to a bowl game in each of the last 18 years. Clemson will play in its first Pinstripe Bowl, making it the eighth different ACC program (in 11 years of the bowl’s partnership with the conference) to appear in the game. Additionally, this will mark Clemson’s first appearance at the current or original Yankee Stadium.
The 2025 Pinstripe Bowl marks the Tigers’ 21st consecutive bowl game selection (since 2005) — the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS. In the last 41 seasons (since 1985), Clemson has played in at least one bowl game 37 times, including four seasons with two bowl games (2015-16 & ’18-19). Clemson’s 27 all-time bowl game wins are tied for the 11th-most in CFP/Bowl history.
This season, Clemson engineered one of the largest in-season turnarounds in school history. After a 1-3 start, the 2025 Tigers became the first squad in program history to reach seven wins after starting 1-3 or worse. Clemson (7-5, 4-4 ACC) concluded the regular season on a four-game winning streak, including a 20-19 win at then-No. 19 Louisville that gave the Tigers at least one win against a ranked opponent in each of the program’s 17 full seasons under Swinney.
Clemson’s offense is led by senior quarterback Cade Klubnik, who has thrown for more than 2,700 yards in each of his three seasons starting under center for the Tigers. The Austin, Tex., native has thrown for 2,750 yards and 16 touchdowns this season while also completing a career-best 66.6% of his passes. Among Clemson quarterbacks all time, Klubnik ranks second in completions (894) and fourth in passing touchdowns (73) and yards (9,930). After converting from wide receiver during the offseason, senior running back Adam Randall took over as the No. 1 ball carrier in the Tigers’ backfield this year. Randall leads Clemson in rushing yards (779) and rushing touchdowns (nine), and is tied for third on the team in receptions (31). Redshirt junior wide receiver Antonio Williams and sophomore wide receiver T.J. Moore lead a balanced Clemson receiving corps. Williams, an All-ACC Third Team selection, leads the Tigers in receptions (55) and is tied for second in receiving touchdowns (four). Moore — who’s also caught four touchdowns this season — leads Clemson with 754 receiving yards.
The Tigers’ defense has been led by sophomore linebacker Sammy Brown — an All-ACC First Team selection this season and last year’s ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year — who ranks fifth in the conference in solo tackles (48) and tackles for loss (12.5), and is tied for fifth in total tackles (91). Brown’s five sacks this season are also tied for the second-most among Clemson defenders. In the secondary, sophomore safety Ricardo Jones has made an impact in his first season as a starter, recording six interceptions (most in the ACC) and nine passes defended (tied for sixth in the ACC) to earn All-ACC Third Team honors. Up front, junior defensive end Will Heldt, an All-ACC Third Team selection, has recorded a team-high 7.5 sacks (tied for second in the ACC) and 15.0 tackles for loss (third in the ACC). Clemson’s defensive line is also anchored by junior defensive tackle Peter Woods, who was named to the All-ACC First Team. Junior cornerback Avieon Terrell was also an All-ACC First Team selection.
“We are grateful to the Pinstripe Bowl for extending the invitation for us to participate in the bowl experience and bring our culture and traditions to New York City,” said Clemson Director of Athletics Graham Neff. “Clemson University has a strong footprint in the area, led by the New York/Tri-State Clemson Club, and we’re fired up about the chance to play in Yankee Stadium, one of the nation’s finest and most historic venues. We’re excited to match up with a quality opponent like Penn State in front of a national audience with the chance to end the season on a five-game winning streak.”
“We are super excited to accept our invitation to the Pinstripe Bowl to be able to play in historic Yankee Stadium, to have Christmas in New York and to play a historic opponent like Penn State,” stated Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney. “I've been to a lot of bowls in my life as a player and coach at Alabama and as a coach at Clemson, but this is the first time in my life that I've had the opportunity to play in a bowl in New York City. I'm really excited about heading to the Big Apple. We have a lot of Clemson alumni in the area that will be pumped to see the Tigers. For our football team, it's a great opportunity to have a great finish. I'm appreciative of our players for fighting their tails off to get us to the postseason, and I'm thankful to be part of this great bowl experience in New York City.”
Penn State will make its 57th all-time bowl appearance (33-21-2) and first under Interim Head Coach Terry Smith, who has led the team to a 3-3 record since taking over head coaching duties on Oct. 12. The Nittany Lions will make their second appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl (defeated Boston College in overtime, 31-30, in 2014), making Penn State the first program from the Big Ten (in 11 years of the bowl’s partnership with the conference) to play in the game multiple times. Additionally, this will mark Penn State’s fifth overall appearance at the current or original Yankee Stadium. Prior to playing in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl at the current Yankee Stadium, the Nittany Lions played three games at the original Yankee Stadium (1923 vs. West Virginia, 13-13 tie; 1925 vs. Georgia Tech, 16-7 loss; and 1929 vs. NYU, 7-0 loss).
With its selection to the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State will appear in a bowl game for a fifth consecutive season (since 2021) and for the 11th time in the last 12 years (since 2014). In the last 60 years (since 1966), the Nittany Lions have played in 50 bowl games, including three last season, winning in the College Football Playoff First Round and the Fiesta Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal) before falling in the Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal). Penn State’s 33 all-time bowl game wins are tied for the fourth-most in CFP/Bowl history.
This season, the Nittany Lions appeared in the AP Top 25 for six consecutive weeks (Week 1-6) after being ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll. Penn State (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten) won each of its last three games to close out the regular season and clinched bowl eligibility with a 40-36 win at Rutgers on Nov. 29.
Senior running back Kaytron Allen surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for a second straight year, rushing for a team-high 1,303 yards (second in the Big Ten and seventh in the FBS) and 15 touchdowns (tied for first in the Big Ten and tied for ninth in the FBS), while also ranking third in the conference in attempts (210) and yards per game (108.6). Allen ran for multiple touchdowns in four games this season, including a two-touchdown performance in a 37-10 win vs. Nebraska. In that victory, the Norfolk, Va., native became Penn State’s all-time leading rusher (currently at 4,180 career yards), surpassing Evan Royster’s (2007-10) previous record of 3,932 yards. Over his last three games, Allen has run for 567 yards and five touchdowns. Fellow senior running back Nicholas Singleton added significant contributions to Penn State’s ground game this year, ranking second on the team in carries (123), rushing yards (549) and touchdowns (13, tied for fourth in the Big Ten), while also moving into fourth place on Penn State’s all-time rushing list (3,461 yards). Redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer took over signal calling duties after senior Drew Allar — who was in the middle of his third campaign as the Nittany Lions’ starter — went down with a season-ending ankle injury in early October. In his six starts, Grunkemeyer has thrown for 974 yards and five touchdowns with a 69.2% completion rate.
On the opposite side of the ball, Penn State’s defense has been led by junior linebacker Amare Campbell, who leads the team in solo tackles (57, seventh in the Big Ten) and total tackles (96, tied for seventh in the Big Ten), and ranks third in sacks (3.0). In his first season with the Nittany Lions after transferring from North Carolina, Campbell earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors. Senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, another All-Big Ten Third Team selection, has also been a force on Penn State’s defensive front, leading the Nittany Lions with 6.5 sacks (tied for ninth in the Big Ten) and three forced fumbles (tied for third in the Big Ten). Among Penn State’s defensive backs, redshirt senior safety Zakee Wheatley leads the group in solo tackles (51) and total tackles (74), ranking second on the team in both categories.
“We’re honored to represent the Big Ten in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, one of the most historic venues in all of sports,” said Penn State’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Dr. Patrick Kraft. “Bringing together two iconic brands — Penn State and the New York Yankees — creates a truly special experience for our student-athletes and fans. Spending Christmas in New York City makes this bowl experience even more memorable. We can't wait to bring Nittany Nation to the Big Apple.”
“We’re thrilled to represent Penn State in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium,” stated Penn State Interim Head Coach Terry Smith. “Playing in New York City is special, especially with so many of the greatest alumni in the world living in the Tri-State Area. Our guys have worked relentlessly all season, and this is another chance to show the toughness and pride that define this program. We’ve battled through adversity, stayed together and earned the right to compete one more time as a family. This group is hungry and we’re ready for this opportunity.”
“We are honored to host Clemson and Penn State student-athletes, staff and families at the 2025 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl,” said Mark Holtzman, Executive Director of the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. “The holiday season in New York City will provide a magnificent setting for the week of bowl-related activities, and Yankee Stadium will serve as a picturesque stage for these two premier college football brands to showcase their teams in ‘New York’s Bowl Game.’ We are excited to welcome Clemson and its incredible fan base to their first Yankee Stadium experience. The bowl committee is also thrilled to welcome back Penn State, which boasts a large alumni base in the New York metropolitan area.”
“Nothing compares with Yankee Stadium,” said Peter Ballantyne, CEO of Bad Boy Mowers. “We are honored to host Clemson and Penn State as they add another chapter to this field’s storied history.”
A returning feature of this year’s game will be the Field Goal Kick Scholarship Competition at halftime, in which one student selected by each school will have the opportunity to win a scholarship of up to $35,000. Each student will be able to choose where they want to kick their field goal: the 5-yard line ($10,000), the 10-yard line ($20,000) or the 20-yard line ($35,000). If either student does not make the field goal from their selected spot, they will still be rewarded with a $5,000 scholarship as a consolation prize. The scholarship will be sponsored and funded by Bad Boy Mowers as a way of providing a positive and impactful future for students across the country.
This year’s game will be nationally televised by ABC and broadcast by ESPN Radio.
Special events and community outreach will take place throughout Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl week to once again create an unforgettable experience for fans, families, students and staff. Scheduled visits to New York City institutions will include the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Radio City Music Hall and the New York Stock Exchange.
Tickets for the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl are currently on sale at www.pinstripebowl.com, the official website of the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. For up-to-the-moment information regarding the game, fans are also encouraged to follow the Bowl game’s official X and Instagram accounts – @pinstripebowl.
About the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Established in 2010, the Pinstripe Bowl (www.pinstripebowl.com, @pinstripebowl on X and Instagram) has featured many memorable moments in recent college football history. “New York’s Bowl Game” is played at the world-renowned Yankee Stadium, which is home to the New York Yankees, New York City Football Club and many other sporting, cultural and business events. The 2025 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl will take place on Saturday, December 27, at 12:00 p.m. (ET), featuring Clemson University from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Pennsylvania State University from the Big Ten Conference. The game will be nationally televised by ABC and broadcast by ESPN Radio.
About Bad Boy Mowers**:**
Headquartered in Batesville, Arkansas, Bad Boy Mowers is the brand that revolutionized the zero-turn lawn mower game. Bad Boy was the first brand to market zero-turn mowers to rural landowners and homeowners (not just commercial mowers) with a simple promise: A better mower at a better price. Bad Boy became the fastest selling mower in America, extending its engineering expertise into other categories, including Bad Boy’s line of tractors, the Bandit UTV, the E-Series of 80-volt handheld tools and a new lineup of commercial-grade gas tools. Bad Boy is known for sporty design, uncompromising power, relentless innovation and a signature attitude that is truly one-of-a-kind. This led to the brand’s slogan, “Power. Performance. Attitude.” Learn more at www.BadBoyCountry.com.