Penn State playing West Virginia under the lights on NBC
The Big Ten Conference and NBC signed a mega-deal in 2022 that will allow NBC to broadcast primetime games starting in 2023. The deal was a $350 million dollar contract that gives NBC the rights to 14-16 Big Ten football games until the year 2029. All of the games will be aired in their primetime slot around 8 pm eastern time.
This was a huge deal for both sides. The Big Ten continues to rake in TV money that will boost their conference. NBC gets more involved in college football besides their long-running Notre Dame contract.
So who gets the honor of being the first Big Ten team to make the primetime slot on NBC?
It was announced on Saturday that Penn State will be receiving those honors on September 2 when they face off against old rival West Virginia.
The first meeting between the schools happened in 1904. They played every season from 1940 to 1992, until the rivalry abruptly ended. In 2013 the schools announced they would play a home and home series starting in 2023.
Now, the old rivalry will be resumed under the lights on NBC at Beaver Stadium.
Kicking off Big Ten Saturday Night with a bang!@WVUfootball | @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/TLsrO0keOa
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 6, 2023
It’s already an anticipated season for Penn State who comes into the year with major expectations. Right now, they clearly seem to be the third team in the Big Ten behind Michigan and Ohio State, who they’ve failed to beat for the past two seasons.
They’ll start their much anticipated campaign against West Virginia as the first Big Ten team to play under NBC’s new contract. It’s unknown as of now if that will be a White Out Game or not.
Either way, expect State College and Beaver Stadium to be rocking for their biggest home opener in recent memory.
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