Penn State to Face Stripe the Stadium, and a 'Hornet's Nest,' at West Virginia

Nittany Lions coach James Franklin expects a "great environment" in opener against the Mountaineers.

West Virginia Mountaineers fans cheer on their team during the second half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Milan Puskar Stadium. / Michael Longo/For USA Today Network /

West Virginia will host a "Stripe the Stadium" promotion when Penn State visits Milan Puskar Stadium for the regular-season opener Aug. 31. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin said he expects much more from the Mountaineers.

"It’s a hornet’s nest,” Franklin told Big Ten Network at the Big Ten Football Media Days on Wednesday. "They take a lot of pride in their football team. They’ve got no pro team, so it's all about West Virginia, all about Morgantown. So it will be a great environment to play in."

Penn State is playing at West Virginia for the first time since 1992, and ticket prices reflect anticipation for the game. Secondary-market tickets top $200, and West Virginia has said that single-game tickets will not be available. Fans who want to attend must buy a three-game ticket package or venture into the resale market.

West Virginia recently announced its theme games for the season, designating Penn State as its "Stripe the Stadium" opponent. West Virginia is encouraging fans in alternating sections to wear blue and gold for the game, which kicks off at noon ET on FOX. West Virginia provided a Stripe the Stadium map for fans attending.

However, it appears that Penn State won't see West Virginia's new "Coal Rush" alternate uniform. The program announced that it will debut the "highly anticipated Coal Rush" uniforms in a Big 12 game against either Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State or Baylor.

Penn State has fared well at West Virginia, bringing a 17-6-1 road record to the game. West Virginia coach Neal Brown called the Penn State game huge for both his program and the Big 12.

"It's not just a big game for West Virginia," Brown said at Big 12 Football Media Days. "It's a big game for our league, and it's an opportunity for our league and this new Big 12, without a couple schools that have been a part of the Big 12 for a long time in that first weekend on a marquee stage, to show what kind of football that we play in this league."

Penn State defeated West Virginia 38-15 last season at Beaver Stadium in the first game of the two-game rivalry renewal series.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.