Penn State’s Big Ten opener, and homecoming game, against Illinois on September 28 will be played under the lights of Beaver Stadium. It was announced on Monday that Penn State’s home game against the Illini will be played at either 7:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. ET.
It remains to be seen what network will be airing the game, although that information will come within the next week. The game was previously reserved for one of the mid-day or primetime slots to be shared by broadcast partners CBS, NBC, Fox, and Big Ten Network. The primetime assignment rules out CBS as a broadcast option for Penn State’s game with Illinois.
That weekend’s Big Ten schedule includes a Friday night game with Washington visiting Rutgers and Saturday matchups of Ohio State visiting Michigan State and Oregon visiting UCLA. Wisconsin will also visit USC and Michigan hosts Minnesota for the Little Bron Jug.
Penn State making a primetime appearance on NBC feels promising as it would be NBC’s first chance to air a night game in Beaver Stadium this season. NBC aired last season’s night game between Penn Satte and West Virginia in Penn State’s first game on NBC since beating Miami for the national championship in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
While it may not end up being the only primetime game in Beaver Stadium or on Penn State’s schedule this season, the home game against the Illini is the first primetime booking for the Nittany Lions in the 2024 season.
You can view the updated Penn State schedule with confirmed kickoff times and TV assignments here. You can also download a wallpaper of the Penn State schedule for your phone.
Penn State will host Kent State this week for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Big Ten Network.
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