Kickoff time and TV details confirmed for Penn State vs. Northwestern

Penn State fans are going to get a few extra hours of tailgate time before the Northwestern game.

Penn State has one final nonconference task to get through before jumping back into Big Ten Conference play for the remainder of the season. After this weekend’s home game against Central Michigan, the Nittany Lions will host Northwestern in Week 5 in Beaver Stadium to begin that Big Ten run on the schedule. And now, we know when that game will be played.

It was announced on Monday the Penn State vs. Northwestern game will be set for a 3:30 p.m. ET start time. The exact TV information for the game is still to be officially determined, but it will air on either ABC or ESPN. The Big Ten will confirm that detail following the Week 4 games.

That will mark the second time in a three-week span Penn State will play a 3:30 p.m. game. The Nittany Lions played at Auburn in the 3:30 p.m. timeslot on CBS. This could potentially be Penn State’s second appearance on ABC, as they previously appeared on ABC for a home game against Ohio. Penn State rising in the rankings has certainly helped make a Penn State game more appealing, but Northwestern has trended in a negative way this season. After opening the year with a win over Nebraska in Ireland, Northwestern has dropped back-to-back home games against Duke and Southern Illinois the past two weeks.

This weekend’s game against Central Michigan will air on Big Ten Network. If The Northwestern game is not placed on ABC, then Penn State will make its first appearance on ESPN this season instead.

The only game on the schedule after the Northwestern game with a confirmed kickoff time for now is the October 22 game against Minnesota, which has been designated for Penn State’s whiteout game. Kickoff for that game against the Gophers is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, but TV information will be confirmed at a later time.

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