Predicting Penn State Football Kickoff Times for the 2025 Season

Penn State's 2025 football schedule is a road warrior's dream, with intriguing games at Ohio State, Iowa and UCLA. The Nittany Lions home schedule isn't quite as compelling, with three non-conference games before the marquee date: Oregon visits Beaver Stadium on Sept. 27 for a Big Ten title game rematch.

Sounds like a strong possibility for the annual Penn State White Out, right? Nittany Lions fans could be hearing about that and more soon, as college football kickoff times are coming. The networks should be releasing kickoff times for prime games in the coming weeks, with Penn State holding sway over some of those key dates.

As a preview, let's consider where Penn State's kickoff times might land this season.

Aug. 30 vs. Nevada

Penn State's home opener ranks low on the opening weekend's slate of games, which includes Texas-Ohio State, Alabama-Florida State and LSU-Clemson. But there isn't much else compelling involving Big Ten Teams, so this could get a noon kick on Fox or at least FS1.

Sept. 7 vs. Florida International

FIU visits Penn State for the first time since 2007, a game that was on BTN. Expect a similar broadcast for a noon start, considering the Week 2 slate is full of similar non-conference games.

Sept. 14 vs. Villanova

Penn State closes the non-conference schedule at Beaver Stadium against Villanova. This was a noon game on BTN in 2021 and is primed for a repeat. Penn State is unlikely to host any non-conference night games, though it's not out of the question. The one caveat here is that Penn State will play at least one game on Peacock this season. Remember that the Nittany Lions hosted Delaware on Peacock in 2023, though the game kicked off at noon.

Sept. 27 vs. Oregon

Penn State craves hosting the White Out for its biggest home game of the season. The forces appear aligned for the Nittany Lions to get their wish. The Ducks visit Penn State for the first time since 1964. This is a Big Ten title game rematch and should be a top-10 game in the rankings. We expect NBC to make this the Big Ten Saturday Night game from a White Out at Beaver Stadium.

Oct. 4 at UCLA

Penn State plays its first road game of the 2025 season at the Rose Bowl. Exceptional destination for the road opener. We're also entering the scheduling calendar in which networks announce kickoff times six days before the games. The Nittany Lions played USC at 12:30 PT last season, or 3:30 p.m. ET. That seems like another strong option, particularly for CBS.

Oct. 11 vs. Northwestern

Penn State digs deeper into the Big Ten schedule with its first home game vs. the Wildcats since 2022's lackluster 17-7 win. This isn't a prime game on the Big Ten card, which includes Michigan-USC and Ohio State-Illinois. Which is why we'll position this for a noon kick on BTN/FS1.

Oct. 18 at Iowa

Penn State got a Big Ten Saturday Night game at Wisconsin last October, which certainly could happen when the Nittany Lions visit Kinnick Stadium for the first time since 2021. However, Fox could be eyeing this game over Ohio State-Wisconsin. But we're picking an NBC prime-time game from Iowa City. Expect a theme game from the Hawkeyes.

Nov. 1 at Ohio State

Enjoy Big Noon on Fox.

Nov. 8 vs. Indiana

Depending on the Penn State-Ohio State result, and Indiana's progress to Week 11, this easily could be another Big Noon game on Fox. UCLA and USC both play home games, so the evening broadcast should come from the West Coast.

Nov. 15 at Michigan State

In the past, Penn State and Michigan State played 3:30 games on gray days in East Lansing, after Ohio State-Michigan. But that window has closed, so now the Nittany Lions and Spartans have an opportunity to play a noon game at Spartan Stadium. That's the pick here, potentially on Fox.

Nov. 22 vs. Nebraska

Penn State and Nebraska play for the first time since 2020, and the Cornhuskers visit State College for the first time since 2017. It's also a homecoming for Nebraska coach Matt Rhule. This could be the best game on the day's Big Ten schedule, which would mean another Big Noon kickoff. But a CBS 3:30 game also is possible.

Nov. 29 at Rutgers

Penn State closes the regular season in Piscataway, most likely for a 3:30 p.m. kick after the Ohio State-Michigan game. Expect this on BTN or CBS.