Penn State Students Call for Boycott of Fox Sports Show for ‘Unacceptable’ Kickoff Time

The Penn State faithful are calling for a do-over in the Big Ten’s regular-season schedule.

On most occasions, Saturday’s highly anticipated clash between No. 3-ranked Nittany Lions and No. 4 Ohio State would be given the iconic white-out treatment during a night game at Beaver Stadium. But because the Fox Sports show Big Noon Kickoff will air from Happy Valley this week, the game will kick off at 12 p.m. ET instead of being under the lights in a prime-time slot.

Penn State fans are not happy.

“If one thing is clear it is this: This game should be a night game,” sophomore Ben Rosenbaum wrote for Onward State, a Penn State blog run by students. “… Fox has enjoyed taking the fun out of tailgating and the atmosphere Beaver Stadium presents by testing us with several noon games already. And now, on the biggest game of the year, it happens yet again. Unacceptable.

“I am asking you, Penn State students, to please boycott Big Noon Kickoff. Do not show up. Imagine Urban Meyer hyping up the ‘crowd.’ Cue the crickets, folks. Chirp chirp.”

According to The Athletic, the Penn State-Ohio State tilt was selected with the No. 5 pick by Fox Sports in its annual network draft of college football games with CBS and NBC. It was announced as a noon kickoff earlier this month.

Saturday is set to be a busy day on campus at Penn State, as ESPN’s College Gameday is also set to take place at Happy Valley. It’ll be interesting to watch if College GameDay, which starts at 9 a.m. ET, will attract a bigger crowd of Nittany Lions fans than Big Noon Kickoff, which takes the air one hour later.