Penn State vs. Northwestern Announced For Sept 30th On Big Ten Network

No. 7 Penn State Football's kick time and network designation have been set for Saturday, Sept. 30 at Northwestern. The contest will kick off at noon and will be aired on Big Ten Network.

This will be Penn State’s third noon start to the season (Delaware, Illinois) and first appearance on BTN. James Franklin's Lions are coming off an up-and-down 30-13 victory over the Illini.

Northwestern is 1-2 this season after a lopsided loss to Duke. The Lions last played Northwestern in Evanston during their early, undefeated run in 2017. They overcame a sluggish start to roll the Wildcats then, 31-7. Star tailback Saquon Barkley ran for 75 yards, and Trace McSorley threw for 245 and a touchdown.

Penn State leads the all-time series over Northwestern, 15-5. Last year, the Lions won their matchup, 17-7, in Beaver Stadium.

Since winning the Big Ten West division three years ago, the Northwestern Wildcats are 5-22, including only two wins in their past 21 games. They'll be playing host to the Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-1) this weekend with an 11-game losing streak against Power Five opponents.

However, Northwestern is different from who it used to be. The firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald in July for alleged hazing within his program marked a low point for Northwestern.

But the struggles on the field existed before the scandal. Currently, Northwestern is 1-2, and the last time the Wildcats defeated a Power Five opponent was in the 2022 season opener against Nebraska.

The 3-0 Lions are preparing for Saturday's White Out game against Top 25 Iowa. The action will start just after 7:30 p.m. on CBS.