Schedule for Penn State vs. West Virginia game to open 2023 college football season announced

Penn State announced the time and TV network schedule for its game against West Virginia to open the 2023 college football season
Schedule for Penn State vs. West Virginia game to open 2023 college football season announced
Schedule for Penn State vs. West Virginia game to open 2023 college football season announced /

One of the biggest early games on the 2023 college football schedule now has an official kickoff time and TV information. Penn State is set to host long-time rival West Virginia at Happy Valley in Week 1, and now we know exactly when and where.

Penn State announced that the season opener will take place on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on the main NBC network.

The last time Penn State hosted a season and home opener night game was Sept. 1, 2001 against Miami (Fla.) and this game will officially mark Penn State’s first on the NBC network since Sept. 16, 2006, at Notre Dame. Beaver Stadium has never hosted a game broadcasted by NBC, until now.

NBC emerged as the likeliest option to air the matchup after the network entered into a landmark contract with the Big Ten to air football games starting this season, part of an enormous deal the conference signed that will pay it around $ 1 billion per year.

The conference is opening up its new media rights deal with NBC alongside Fox and CBS in addition to the Big Ten Network. Fox will keep its traditional Big Noon game and CBS is set to maintain its 3:30 p.m. slot.

Penn State and West Virginia have not met on the football field since the 1992 season, but before then were intense regional rivals in a series that dates back to 1994.

The Nittany Lions own an extant four-game win streak in the rivalry and dominate the series against the Mountaineers overall with a 48-9-2 lead.

This year's reunion promises to be must-see TV for college football fans in what should be a raucous, white-out atmosphere at Beaver Stadium.


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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.