Though it’s just February, it’s never too early to begin planning for Penn State football.
We made the decision to start organizing our fall Saturdays and figuring out when we’re going into Beaver Stadium because the season is less than 200 days away.
Here are our predictions for Penn State football’s kickoff times in 2024, in case you want to know what time you should wake up, grab a spiked coffee, and head to the tailgate lots.
August 31 at 7:30 p.m. at West Virginia.
There’s little reason to believe that NBC’s prime-time start for the West Virginia game last season will be any different from that of this year’s opener versus the same squad.
Penn State is expected to be highly anticipated for the 2024 season, and their performance in the previous season took quite a few by surprise. There is a lot of entertainment value here because the two fanbases have developed a rivalry between games (looking at you, Barstool accounts).
This game would only be prioritized because it is set in Morgantown. Though 2024 might be an anomaly, West Virginia football isn’t exactly known for meriting a 7:30 p.m. kickoff time.
September 7 at noon versus Bowling Green Come on, everybody. Penn State’s Bowling Green is yelling “noon kickoff.”
It should be noted that this game is rather early in the season, suggesting a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. Furthermore, Bowling Green is an FBS university as opposed to the FCS teams who often receive the noon kickoffs.
Nevertheless, the game will most likely begin at midday. Somehow, Peacock needs to pass the time.
Kent State vs. September 21: 3:30 p.m.
While this matchup is identical to that of the Bowling Green game, Penn State will play one of these two games at noon and the other at 3:30 p.m. I may be biased in my choosing process, but I can understand why Kent State would kick off at 3:30 p.m.
The college football season’s Week Two schedule is marginally more interesting than Week One, if nothing else (and honestly, nothing else matters).
The most dull games take place at 3:30 p.m. because college football, for some reason, has determined that midday games are now prime time.
The only thing going on during Penn State vs. Kent State is beer sales in Beaver Stadium, so it’s on the Big Ten Network with the rest of the duds.
Illinois versus. September 28: 3:30 p.m.
Yes, the Illinois game the previous year started at noon. Penn State vs. Illinois is typically a large enough event since fans will want to see Penn State take on a conference rival, and as a result, the TV networks will handle it as if it were a mediocre game.
Like with Kent State, this should take place at 3:30 p.m. since the Big Ten has enough games that weekend that are really interesting.
This may go either way; perhaps the networks will be less interested in Washington vs. Rutgers, but whenever we have an old vs. new game, the new Big Ten will undoubtedly be a must-watch on television.
UCLA on October 5 at 7:30 p.m.
The White Out game, which is likely to be against UCLA, is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. That’s probably how things will work out, whether you love it or not. Though that’s beside the point, this writer believes Ohio State ought to be the White Out opponent.
Penn State will likely feel that its best opportunity to have the White Out on at night is during the UCLA game, thus that will likely be the White Out.
The fact that the Nittany Lions are welcoming a lively, fresh opponent and a Los Angeles school to the Big Ten isn’t all that bad.
October 12, 7:30 p.m. (Eastern), at USC
The easiest game to choose was this one. TV networks will already need to take into consideration the time difference between the East and the West because Penn State is playing on the West Coast.
Furthermore, this is going to be the most intriguing game of the week. It features two teams that are reasonably reliable powerhouses, two well-known brands, and a rematch of the 2017 Rose Bowl, which was an extremely interesting game. Putting these two teams in the Colosseum as the Los Angeles sun sets is an easy sell.
It is important to remember that even while this seems like the obvious answer, it could not be the best one. At nine in the morning local time, USC and Colorado did play.
Penn State and USC might just be told by the schedulers to shut up and take a noon kickoff on the road. Though unlikely, it is nonetheless conceivable.
October 26 at noon at Wisconsin
One of the best matchups this week is Penn State vs. Wisconsin, so if someone else picks Michigan vs. Michigan State, it appears certain that FOX will air this match as their Big Noon Kickoff. The most practical time seems to be noon, and 3:30 p.m. also sounds reasonable.
In an effort to avoid the cold weather closing stadiums at night, the Big Ten also begins moving its games to earlier times of the day in late October. It just doesn’t seem feasible to kick off at 7:30 p.m., so noon it is.
November 2: Noon vs. Ohio State Yes.
It’s November in Happy Valley. The powers that be simply won’t let the fans enjoy a chilly night game at Beaver Stadium. The Columbus game the previous year began at 12:00.
The Penn State game took place at noon the previous year. The game’s 2024 version will most likely be a Stripe Out at noon, same like the 2022 version.
November 9 at noon versus Washington
For the same reasons, this matchup will probably be identical to the Ohio State game.
Important Big Ten games start at noon, and Penn State vs. Washington matches the crucial brunch time window since it appeals to the typical viewer enough.
If Penn State assigns a theme to this game, it will be quite intriguing. There’s definitely the Helmet Stripe Game and a Stripe Out game on the table. However, it is all for an other subject and day.
November 16 at 3:30 p.m. at Purdue.
Penn State at Purdue just isn’t going to be as exciting as the other games happening at the same time as the season’s final stretch heats up.
One may argue that Penn State at Purdue is important to the league race if the Big Ten West still existed. However, Penn State most likely won’t challenge Purdue for the top slot in the Big Ten this year (sorry, guys).
Oregon vs. Wisconsin and Nebraska vs. USC are still more intriguing games than the stale Penn State-Purdue contest, even though Alabama is facing Mercer.
November 23 at 3:30 p.m. at Minnesota.
I feel like this is an afternoon kickoff, and this is an arbitrary decision made between noon and 3:30 p.m. It seems too early to be noon, especially in Minnesota.
During the previous season, the Golden Gophers only participated in one noon game, which was versus Louisiana.
At this stage of the season, 7:30 p.m. is simply too late for Minnesota, and 3:30 p.m. seems like a good middle ground.
Maryland versus. November 30: 3:30 p.m.
Farewell to the yearly Land-Grant Trophy match.
It’s unlikely that many students will attend this game, but if they do, they’ll likely need an additional three hours to travel to school.
Penn State vs. Maryland is frequently an afterthought during the last weekend of the season since there are so many excellent games happening throughout the nation.
There’s plenty of opportunity to stretch legs between Penn State vs. Maryland and Ohio State vs. Michigan and Auburn vs. Alabama.
