Penn State announces USC as white out opponent after long delay

At long last, Penn State has announced that it will stage its annual “white out” spectacle Oct. 10 against USC.

NBC will broadcast the matchup at 7:30 p.m. from Beaver Stadium, where fans will be asked to dress in as much white clothing as possible and turn the venue’s typically raucous home environment up a notch.

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Fans have long had the game circled as the likely choice to be the next installment of one of the most visually striking traditions in the sport. The Trojans are the highest-ranked opponent on the Nittany Lions’ home slate at No. 14 in the LBM Coaches Poll, so it made sense the leverage the environment against them.

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However, the TV networks waited until this week to confirm the game’s network and – most importantly – the time. Fox gets the first pick of Big Ten games weekly for its “Big Noon Saturday” package. Penn State has historically bristled at the notion of staging the white out in the early afternoon, preferring the contrast of the dark night sky with the sea of white for what’s become its principal marketing event as a school.

Had Fox chosen the game, Penn State was leaving the option open to pivot the white out to a different opponent. Now, however, it appears they won’t have to use that contingency plan and will instead get its biggest home game in primetime as desired.

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This will mark the first white out game for the renovated west side of the stadium, which will debut alongside new coach Matt Campbell on Sept. 5 for the season opener against Marshall. Penn State has not yet announced the stadium’s new capacity, but athletic director Pat Kraft has said in interviews that it could surpass 108,000 or 109,000 to become the largest stadium in college football.

If that happens, the USC game could set a new attendance record for the building and flirt with some of the largest on-campus crowds ever on a national level.

The Lions beat the Trojans, 33-30, in their most recent matchup two years ago in Los Angeles. Ryan Barker’s 36-yard field goal in overtime completed a comeback from a 20-6 halftime deficit.

Also Monday, Penn State announced it will stage its annual homecoming weekend Sept. 26 against Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Penn State announces USC as white out opponent after long delay