Oct. 21, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -The first of Penn State's three November home games, against Illinois on Nov. 2, has been set for a 12:00 p.m. kick. ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 will televise the contest to a national audience from Beaver Stadium., with the televising network to be announced on Oct. 27.
The Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com will begin coverage of the Penn State-Illinois game at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Penn State and Illinois will be meeting for the 21st time and have played every season since 2005. The Nittany Lions and Illini have been division rivals since 2011, but will be in opposite divisions starting in 2014. The teams are scheduled to play in 2014 and '15 before Illinois rotates off Penn State's schedule in 2016.
The Nittany Lions have a 16-4 on-field record vs. Illinois, including a 35-7 win last year in Champaign.
The Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) will be featured at the Illinois game for the event's incredible fundraising efforts in the fight against pediatric cancer. The organization will announce the theme for THON 2014 and the final total raised in the 2012-13 academic year. The initial total announced in February was a record $12.3 million.
The Illinois game also includes the "Parade of Champions," a celebration of team and individual successes from the 2012-13 season. Penn State won a school record 11 conference championships last year, including eight Big Ten titles, with the wrestling team capturing a third consecutive NCAA Championship. Also, the Penn State Chapter of Uplifting Athletes will present a check to the Uplifting Athletes Organization. The 2013 Penn State Lift For Life raised a record total of more than $135,000, bringing the football team's 11-year total to more than $800,000.
The announcement of the Illinois kick brings the total of known Penn State start times to eight for this season. The Nittany Lions will visit No. 4 Ohio State on Oct. 26 for an 8 p.m. clash that will air nationally on ABC. The game also will air on the Penn State Sports Network (6:30 p.m. airtime) and www.GoPSUsports.com.
The remaining four Penn State kick times and TV information will occur within the Big Ten's 6 or 12 day selection process.
Every Penn State football game has been televised the past 10 seasons and 234 of the last 236 Penn State contests overall have been on TV. All Nittany Lion football and basketball games air on the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com.
Coach Bill O'Brien's Nittany Lions (4-2) were idle last week after posting a thrilling 43-40, four overtime win over previously unbeaten Michigan on Oct. 12.
Tickets are available for the Nittany Lions' final three home games against Illinois (Nov. 2), Purdue (Nov. 16, Military Appreciation Day) and Nebraska (Nov. 23, Senior Day). For information on single game tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Penn State students can purchase a pair of tickets to each of the remaining home games at a special price - up to two tickets for $40 each -- with their valid student ID. Students from all Penn State campuses and the World Campus are able to buy two tickets for the Illinois, Purdue and Nebraska games in advance by calling 1-800-NITTANY or in-person at the Beaver Stadium ticket office (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). This special student ticket offer also is available on gameday at the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office from 8 a.m. until kickoff.
The seats for this special student ticket offer will not be located in the 21,000-seat student section in Beaver Stadium.
Pre-paid single game parking passes for the general parking lots ($10) are also available at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets.