In a perfect world, Penn State football’s 2024 White Out opponent would have been Ohio State.
Everybody knows it, and athletic director Pat Kraft alluded to it during a media availability in Indianapolis Tuesday ahead of Big Ten Media Days.
Something just as obvious— if not more so— than Ohio State being the biggest opponent on Penn State’s schedule is that the White Out is at its best when it’s a night game.
Penn State’s only had a White Out game kick off at noon once— 2015– and it doesn’t seem like it plans on having another one anytime soon.
Well, the Ohio State game will likely be at noon thanks to Fox’s successful but often criticized Big Noon Kickoff.
So Penn State had to think of another opponent, and although the Nov. 9 game against Washington may not be a night game (it could be at 3:30), at least it won’t be a noon kick.
Kraft explained how Penn State landed on Washington.
“We don’t land on any of this,” he said. “I think we’d all know what we would choose if we were choosing a White Out game. This year became a little bit more difficult because of the three networks and the draft process. They picked the first slate of games that came out. And then it was going to a 12-day window. That became a problem for us because of how big the White Out game is. It is the best, I believe, sporting event of the year. It’s remarkable. Our fans show out.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“(Big Ten Commissioner) Tony (Petitti) and (Big Ten Chief Operating Officer) Kerry (Kenny) and the Big Ten kind of helped us. We worked with FOX to not take the Washington game at Noon. We don’t know yet if it will be a 3:30 p.m. or 7 kick. That will go to the traditional window. But, we had to get something out.”
Kraft then pointed out that the White Out announcement came later than usual, but gave Petitti— who’s entering his second football season as Big Ten Commissioner— credit for understanding that the White Out is a big deal.
“We’d typically like to have it sooner,” Kraft said. “To Tony’s credit, he understands the importance of that game. So, we’re already starting to work on a process to make it a little bit more smooth.”
Kraft then said he “gets where the fans are.”
“We were just at a retreat and I was telling someone, the Ohio State game [for a White Out], I don’t know how the building still stands,” he said. “Minnesota and Iowa were great atmospheres. And yes, the opponent would be great. The night piece is critical just from my two years here. I do believe the process will get a little easier now.”
“I would be lying to you if I said everyone, James [Franklin], my staff, myself, weren’t frustrated. We were getting questions from everybody. And it’s hard to say I don’t have an answer. But, it is a difficult thing to understand. And the FOX window at Noon is huge. That is a big window, for the network, for the conference.”
