A non-conference slate is typically used more as a tune up for conference opponents and to rack up wins that could prove to be the difference when the NCAA Tournament field is finalized.
That’s why, with all due respect to the likes of Long Island University and Niagara, Penn State welcomes the opportunity to face those teams of lower stature, to put it nicely.
With the Big Ten conference being what it is — arguably the strongest in the nation top to bottom — the Nittany Lions may not stand to gain much by scheduling, say, one of the most storied programs in college hockey history on a national stage.