No. 4 Penn State travels 2,500 miles to face USC on Saturday. And that’s just once it’s on the plane.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — For the first time since 1991, No. 4 Penn State will embark on a West Coast trip during the regular season. The Nittany Lions have a bout with Southern Cal on Saturday (3:30 p.m., CBS).

It’s scheduled to be a new normal for the Nittany Lions, who, in addition to USC, will soon travel to face UCLA, Washington, and Oregon, all of whom are Big Ten newcomers. However, for all of these long flights, Penn State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) has to bus 100 miles to the larger Harrisburg International Airport, instead of a direct jaunt from the regional airport in State College.

As of now, direct flights aren’t possible. The team needs a big plane, and one with enough fuel to make it across the country in one go, among other reasons.

This week, coach James Franklin spoke about the logistical challenges and pain points that now arrive with not just playing the Trojans (3-2, 1-2) but competing in this new-look Big Ten.

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“One of the things we have to discuss is increasing the size of the runway here,” Franklin said in reference to the one active tarmac at State College Regional Airport. “You’re talking about adding another two hours to your trip on top of the flight, and I think the flight’s already 5½ hours, or whatever it may be, so that’s pretty much a full day.”

State College’s runway measures 6,701 feet compared to Harrisburg’s at 10,001. And while these aren’t newfound complications, they’ve been revisited, courtesy of conference realignment.

Franklin noted that this doesn’t just impact his team but the entirety of Penn State athletics and the surrounding community.

“I think we’re going to need to look at addressing moving forward because it does change things for us,” Franklin said.

State College has sometimes been a troublesome airport with delays and a lack of destination options simply because there aren’t enough people flying daily. Most of the schools within the Big Ten have an international airport within approximately 30 minutes. Being in the middle of rural Pennsylvania comes with challenges, which the football program has seen in various aspects, namely when it comes to recruiting, accessibility, and even playing games at night.

Right now, some believe that State College’s small airport puts Penn State at a logistical disadvantage.

There’s a need for more infrastructure, and Franklin hopes it can be fulfilled — starting with an airport that accommodates the Nittany Lions’ new norm.

Piling on to travel troubles is adjusting to California. The three-hour time difference is one, but there are other hurdles.

Penn State played Utah in the 2023 Rose Bowl, but bowl-season travel differs from midseason travel.

“You want to get out there early, get adjusted to the climate, get adjusted to the time, all those different things,” Franklin said.

During the season, players have no option but to be on campus until a day or so before games. There’s also the urge to keep things routine for players, so early travel isn’t encouraged. Franklin agreed with the latter sentiment, adding that Penn State has sought advice from other college programs and even NFL teams on how to best navigate this.

“[We] try to be as aware as we can of what the environment is going to look like,” Franklin said. “I’ll show them pictures of what the locker room is going to look like, what the sideline is going to look like, all of those things, just to try to get our guys as prepared as possible.”

Regardless, Franklin expects the Nittany Lions to be ready to go — no matter how far they have to go or how long it will take to get there.

“Each week is the Super Bowl for us,” Franklin said. “We try to approach it that way.”

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