UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The kick times and network TV assignments for Penn State’s first two home games this season are set.
Coach Bill O’Brien’s debut as Penn State head coach is Sept. 1 vs. Ohio in Beaver Stadium and the game will kick at noon and air on ESPN. The Bobcats are the first of 10 bowl teams from the 2011 season the Nittany Lions will play this fall.
Following the Sept. 8 game at Virginia (noon on ABC), Penn State will host the U.S. Naval Academy on Sept. 15 for the first time since 1974. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. for Military Appreciation Day. The Penn State-Navy game will be an ABC regional telecast that will air on ESPN2 outside the ABC coverage area.
The two kick times bring the total of known Penn State start times to six for this season. In addition to the clash at Virginia, the Nittany Lions’ Oct. 6 Homecoming game vs. Northwestern (noon, TV TBD), 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.
Additional 2012 Penn State kick times will likely not be announced until the Big Ten’s 6/12-day selection process begins with its TV partners, starting with the Sept. 22 Temple game in Beaver Stadium.
The Nittany Lions lead the series with Ohio, 5-0 winning the last meeting, 35-16 in Beaver Stadium in 1974. Led by Coach Frank Solich, the Bobcats were 10-4 last season, the first time an Ohio football team had won 10 games since 1968. Ohio beat Utah State, 24-23, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl for the first bowl win in program history.
Penn State and Navy first met in 1894 but have not played since the Mids captured a 7-6 win in State College. The Nittany Lions lead the series, 18-17-2. In his initial four seasons, Coach Ken Niumatalolo has directed Navy to three bowl games and 10-win season in 2009 to tie the school record.
During the 2010-11 seasons, Penn State renewed its rivalry with Alabama. Following the 2012-13 games with Virginia, the Nittany Lions will meet two more old rivals, Rutgers, in 2014-15, and Pitt, in 2016-17. Penn State and long-time rival Syracuse played in 2008-09 and will meet again on August 31, 2013 in the season opener at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Penn State’s regular season non-conference opponents during the past 12 years include: Pittsburgh (2000), Southern California (2000), Miami, Fla. (2001), Southern Miss (2001), Virginia (2001-02), Nebraska (2002-03), UCF (2002 and ’04), Boston College (2003-04), South Florida (2005), Cincinnati (2005), Notre Dame (2006-07), Oregon State (2008), Syracuse (2008-09) and Alabama (2010-11).
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 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. In addition to Ohio and Navy, Penn State will host Ohio State (Oct. 27, 6 p.m.), Wisconsin (Nov. 24-Senior Day), Northwestern (Oct. 6-Homecoming), Indiana (Nov. 17) and Temple (Sept. 22) 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 go to go www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets or call 1-800-648-8269 (1-800-NITTANY) weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The pricing of 2012 Penn State football game tickets and accompanying donation levels is the same as in 2011.