UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Homecoming clash with Northwestern is set for a noon kick on Oct. 6 in Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions’ third announced start time for the 2012 season.
The Big Ten Network, ESPN or ESPN2 will televise Penn State’s 93rd Homecoming contest, with an announcement on the televising network likely 12 days before the game.
Penn State owns an all-time Homecoming record of 66-21-5, with a 15-4 mark since starting Big Ten Conference competition in 1993. The Wildcats have been the Nittany Lions’ Homecoming foe just once previously, with Penn State winning the 2002 contest.
Penn State leads the series with Northwestern, 12-3, with the Nittany Lions capturing a 34-24 win in Evanston last year. The Wildcats are in the Big Ten Legends Division and will rotate off the Nittany Lions’ schedule, along with Iowa, in 2013 and ’14. Michigan and Minnesota return to the schedule in 2013-14.
Penn State’s annual Homecoming activities include a Friday evening parade through campus and downtown, guarding the Nittany Lion Shrine and the naming of a Homecoming King and Queen and their court.
The kick times and TV for the Nittany Lions’ Oct. 20 contest at Iowa (7 p.m. CT, BTN) and Oct. 27 home clash with Ohio State (6 p.m., ESPN/2) had previously been announced. The kick times for Penn State’s first two home games – Sept. 1 vs. Ohio and Sept. 15 vs. Navy — should be announced by June 15.
Bill O’Brien and 10 other head coaches are in the midst of the seven state, 18-stop Penn State Coaches Caravan. The first six stops were held this week and the Coaches Caravan resumes May 8-10 with stops in Hazleton, the Lehigh Valley, Woodbridge, N.J., New York City, Hartford and Scranton. The Caravan concludes May 14-16 with visits to Altoona, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cleveland, Erie and Buffalo. O’Brien is scheduled to appear at all 18 events. For all the Coaches Caravan event dates and locations, go to www.GoPSUsports.com
Penn State returns 36 letterwinners and 10 starters for the upcoming season (5 offense, 4 defense, 1 specialist), as well as 17 players that have starting experience. The 17 additional players with starting experience have a combined total of 78 starts (44 defense/34 offense) among them.
Season tickets are available for the 2012 season, with the Nittany Lions hosting five teams that played in a bowl game last year. Penn State will host Ohio State (Oct. 27), Wisconsin (Nov. 24-Senior Day), Northwestern (Oct. 6-Homecoming), Indiana (Nov. 17), Navy (Sept. 15), Temple (Sept. 22) and Ohio (Sept. 1) in Beaver Stadium this fall.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can call 1-800-648-8269 (1-80