Guessing Penn State’s 2024 Kickoff Times

Editor’s Note: As a piece of helpful advice, the Big Ten generally announces kick times 12 days (two Mondays) before the game’s scheduled date. This typically happens around 1 p.m. ET. Usually later in the season, some games are six-day windowed (announced the weekend before the game). We have update this article with confirmed kick times as they are announced. Additionally, here is a link to Penn State’s 2024 schedule.

This is probably the crux of the blog, the podcast and also probably the friendship that my partner-in-crime Steve and I have developed over the years.

It’s our passionate pursuit to know what time Penn State is playing its football games in the fall. 

Below are our initial guesses as to what times we think Penn State’s 2024 games will kick off and what networks those games will air on. 

Why are we doing this in early May? Well, early next week, television networks under the Fox, Disney and NBC brands will host their upfronts, showcasing their fall television lineup to get advertisers excited to fork over cash for commercials. In this process, we also get a few kickoff times for the 2024 college football season. 

We’re also doing this because the infamous draft to select kick times was held on Wednesday. The draft ultimately decides the kickoff time for a large number of games for the season. It’s generally believed that Fox has the first three picks in this year’s draft and it’s confirmed they’ve already used one on the Texas-Michigan matchup on Sept. 7. The second pick will likely be used for the Michigan-Ohio State game on Nov. 30. After that, they’ve got another pick (more on that later) and then NBC is believed to be up with CBS following after. (If you’d like to see how we think the draft might go for the entire conference, we conducted our version here.)

And that’s where our fun – and relatively educated guessing – begins. One other quick housekeeping rule, Big Ten members have to appear on BTN at least twice – with one game being in-conference . That may change with this new era of contracts and expanded teams but we’ll follow that law for now.

Below are my picks and Steve’s picks. We’ll probably be wrong. And of course, as kick times come out, we will update the Penn State ones here and Big Ten ones here and here. 

I’ll let Steve go first because 1. Age before beauty and 2. He got his picks in first. 

Aug. 31 at West Virginia

Steve Says: 7:30 p.m. ESPN 

It’s one of the day’s best non-conference games, after Notre Dame at Texas A&M, Drew Allar can be framed as an early-season award candidate and Morgantown would be spirited in prime time. It ends up on an ESPN outlet because it’s a home game for WVU, so it’s inventory Big 12 Conference broadcast partners.

Darian Says: 12 p.m. Fox 

Steve and I disagreed about this one when we talked about it on the podcast and disagree about it in writing. I think ESPN will take Georgia at Clemson – two of their teams so to speak – while Fox will take Penn State and WVU because that’s relatively the most attractive Big Ten and Big 12 game that day. 

Confirmed: 12 p.m. Fox

Sept. 7 vs. Bowling Green

Steve Says: 3:30 p.m. BTN

An eh, non-conference game goes at 3:30 on the conference network.

Darian Says: 3:30 p.m. BTN 

Ditto. 

Confirmed: 12 p.m. BTN

Sept. 21 vs. Kent State

Steve Says: 12 p.m. BTN

Another eh, non-conference game and another appearance on the conference network. Michigan at USC is the conference’s best-sounding matchup that day, likely that night.

Darian Says: 3:30 p.m. BTN 

It’s been a while since Penn State last had a non-Power conference opponent for a night game that aired on BTN and I think with the new western Big Ten teams, I think that trend will continue. BTN feels right. It won’t be at night and I’m partial to the 3:30 p.m. kick. 

Confirmed: 3:30 p.m. BTN

Sept. 28 vs. Illinois 

Steve Says: 3:30 p.m. Peacock 

The Big Ten will like to get as many teams on Peacock as possible with its eight games so this selection gets two teams out of the way early.

Darian Says: 12 p.m. FS1

It’s Homecoming and it’s a safe bet to guess noon. This doesn’t have Big Noon potential with Ohio State and Michigan State playing that day. We’ll put it on FS1 for now. 

Confirmed: 7:30 p.m. NBC

Oct. 5 vs. UCLA 

Steve Says: 3:30 p.m. CBS

Could be prime time, the 7:30 p.m. slot, but Washington at Michigan would draw better in that slot — Michigan and Ohio State invariably rate better than Penn State — and CBS would probably be happy with this matchup. If NBC takes it for late, it’ll be some version of a White Out, Helmet Stripe or something.

Darian Says: 7:30 p.m. NBC

I’m going to change my mind on something I said on the podcast. I think this is going to be the White Out. Those at 30 Rock want to showcase the White Out and Notre Dame is idle. I do think they’ll take Oregon-Ohio State ahead of this game though. 

Confirmed: 12 p.m. Fox 

Oct. 12 at USC 

Steve Says: 7:30 p.m NBC

This feels like the best potential prime-time game of the day and Oregon at Ohio State could go at noon on Fox, but it’ll be interesting to see how the conference treats West Coast teams coming east in that regard. Oregon-OSU could be prime time with Penn State at USC at 3:30.  

Darian Says: 3:30 p.m. CBS

I agree with Steve’s final thought there. I think CBS would gladly take this game. 

Confirmed: 3:30 p.m. CBS

Oct. 26 at Wisconsin 

Steve Says: 12 p.m. FS1

It seems Michigan-MSU and OSU-Nebraska will get more prominent treatment, and maybe even USC at Rutgers could be more appealing for a partner. Plus, who knows how good Wisconsin will be. So, a potentially decent matchup on FS1.

Darian Says: 3:30 p.m. Fox

This is two Darians speaking. The one that wants to enjoy more tailgating time in Madison and the one that is optimistic about Penn State appearing on a network for the third week in a row because they’re winning football games. 

Confirmed: 7:30 p.m. NBC

Nov. 2 vs. Ohio State

Steve Says: 12 p.m. Fox 

Anytime Fox can get Ohio State at noon, it’ll take it and draw millions of viewers (especially for this game). Maybe the dominoes fall differently, and this potential White Out game ends up in prime time, but my lean is Big Noon. We’ll see — and probably sooner rather than later.

Darian Says: 12 p.m. Fox

I told Steve on the podcast I thought this was going to be a night game and I have waffled on this all day. My final pick is in. I don’t think it will be the White Out but he’s right about the kick time. 

Confirmed: 12 p.m. Fox

Nov. 9 vs. Washington

Steve Says: 7:30 p.m. NBC

OK, here’s where the week-by-week, in a vacuum stuff really falls apart. This would be the third primetime game of the season in my world, but just the first in my world, which seems unlikely, right? It seems late for a White Out, but it’d be something along those lines if this happens. Plus, Washington will not be as good as last year. UCLA at Iowa is the only other super compelling game that week for prime time. And again, UCLA at Iowa sound good (but mean-spirited) at noon. 

Darian Says: 4 p.m. FS1

I don’t think Washington is going to be as good as last year’s version of Washington and I think the networks will be tired of showing Penn State. Plus I wanted to throw the weird 4 p.m. kick time in there for fun. 

Confirmed: 8 p.m. Peacock

Nov. 16 at Purdue 

Steve Says: 12 p.m. BTN

Nebraska hosts USC, Wisconsin hosts Oregon, Penn State gets an early start in West Lafayette.

Darian Says: 12 p.m. BTN 

Because of course Penn State will play an 11 a.m. local kick. Also, this gets the BTN conference game out of the way. 

Confirmed: 3:30 p.m. CBS

Nov. 23 at Minnesota 

Steve Says: 12 p.m. Fox

Maybe a Big Noon game if Penn State is doing well. UCLA plays USC (late), Nebraska and Wisconsin play and there’s also Indiana-Ohio State and Michigan-Northwestern as options for broadcast partners.

Darian Says: 3:30 p.m. Peacock 

Just to anger those who struggled with it last year and so I can check in on Bill and Linda, 74 and 72, of York. 

Confirmed: 3:30 p.m. CBS

Nov. 30 vs. Maryland 

Steve Says: 3:30 p.m. CBS

Was thinking Fox Sports 1, but on the day that Ohio State plays at Michigan, and with Penn State still potentially in playoff contention, this late season start, ends up on CBS. 

Darian Says: 3:30 p.m. FS1

FS1 feels right. This game will likely always be played at 3:30 p.m. Just makes sense. 

Confirmed: 3:30 p.m. BTN

Alright, our picks are below. I haven’t made a bet with Steve yet but someone hold us accountable. And of course, we’ll update Penn State’s schedule as we get the times here. 

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