The second leg of a home-and-home set against West Virginia will kick off Penn State‘s 2024 season. Last year at Beaver Stadium, the atmosphere was electric in a primetime evening slot. Many Penn State fans had hoped for a similar time slot this year, but Action Network’s Brett McMurphy shot down that hope and reported the Nittany Lions’ season opener matchup against the Mountaineers will not be played under the lights.
Instead, the two teams will face off for Fox’s Big Noon kickoff on Saturday, August 31st at noon ET in Morgantown. Big Noon Kickoff still has that Saturday big game feel as it typically is the network’s top pick of the day, but it won’t be under the lights. Penn State took care of business at home in last year’s season opener against West Virginia by a final score of 38-15. Beaver Stadium is famously known for its impressive atmosphere, especially during evening tilts.
Penn State fans won’t have to wait too long for an evening game at Beaver Stadium. The school’s official X account announced two other game times, including game two of the year.
Looking ahead đź‘€#WeAre pic.twitter.com/21yPJgsLxr
— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) May 30, 2024
Penn State’s home opener is set for September 7th at noon on the Big Ten Network against Bowling Green. The Nittany Lions’ first evening game of the year will be against the Illinois Fighting Illini in Happy Valley, with a kickoff time of 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., or 7:30 p.m. The network is TBA for the game against the Illini on September 28th. Even if the game gets slotted into the 3:30 p.m. window, the game should still be under the lights for a period.
Related: Check out Penn State’s entire 2024 schedule and some early game-by-game predictions.
More game times will be announced soon, but for now, Penn State fans can start making plans for Big Noon Kickoff during the opening week of the 2024 season.