What time, channel, will Penn State-Northwestern be on Oct.2?

Penn State football travels to Northwestern for a Friday night showdown on Oct. 2. A kick time for the game is now out. FOX will televise the contest in primetime from the new Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET.

The Wildcats moved this game from Sat., Oct. 3 to its current date so that it could unveil the $850 million venue. Head coach David Braun’s team will play its first two home games of the year at a temporary stadium on campus.

“This will be, we believe, the best place to watch a football game in America,” Pat Ryan Jr. told SBJ. “That’s a bold statement. I didn’t use to say that when you and I first talked. And why do I say it now? Because I’ve been in so many buildings and arenas.”

This is the first known kick time for head coach Matt Campbell’s team for the 2026 season. More could come out next week as television networks like FOX hold their annual upfront presentations for advertisers.

Penn State will be traveling west on a short week. It hosts Wisconsin the Saturday before. The Wildcats, meanwhile, will be on normal rest. They play Indiana on Fri., Sept. 25, before welcoming the Nittany Lions to town. Chip Kelly is now running the team’s offense.

“There are definitely ‘wow’ moments,” expected new Northwestern starter Aiden Chiles said about being coached by a legend like Kelly, per Wildcat Report. “Sometimes I feel like he’s in our brain and knows what we’re thinking before we do it.

“He’s been around football so long, it’s amazing to be around such a great mind. You understand he knows a lot more than you, so you listen to it and take it to heart.”

Penn State is part of FOX’s Friday Night primetime schedule

Here’s the full list of Big Ten games, courtesy of the network:

September 4 – 9:00 PM – Fresno State at USC – FOX
September 25 – 8:00 PM – Northwestern at Indiana – FOX
October 2 – 8:00 PM – Penn State at Northwestern – FOX
October 9 – 9:00 PM – Iowa at Washington – FOX or FS1*
October 16 – 8:00 PM – Washington at Purdue – FOX
November 6 – 8:00 PM – Nebraska at Illinois – FOX
November 13 – 9:00 PM – Illinois at UCLA – FOX
November 20 – 8:00 PM – Oregon at Michigan State – FOX