Penn State’s season-opening road clash against West Virginia will kick at noon and air on FOX as part of the network’s flagship college football show Big Noon Kickoff, the Big 12 Conference announced on Thursday.
The announcement also solidifies that the Nittany Lions will face the Mountaineers on Saturday, Aug. 31, quieting some unsubstantiated speculation that the game might be flexed to Thursday night.
The contest will mark the 61st game between the two programs ,with the Nittany Lions having won five-straight and eight of the last 10. West Virginia last beat Penn State in 1988 while the Nittany Lions are coming off a win over the Mountaineers last season at Beaver Stadium in the season-opener with a convincing 38-15 victory.
Penn State’s season opener will be followed by two far less dramatic meetings at home. The Nittany Lions will face Bowling Green for another noon game, this time on the Big Ten Network. After a bye week Penn State will take on Kent State on Sept. 21, with the kickoff time still to be announced.
The Nittany Lions then open up Big Ten play on on Sept. 28 at home against Illinois at 3:30, 4 or 7 p.m., the Big Ten announced on Thursday. Television arrangements have not been determined.
The 2024 season marks the start of a newly expanded Big Ten which will feature the addition of Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington. Among the conference’s newcomers the Nittany Lions will travel to face USC and host UCLA and Washington this upcoming season.
