STATE COLLEGE, Pa., June 30, 2004 - Penn State secured its 119th appearance on ABC Sports and set the kickoff time for a fourth game on the 2004 season with the announcement of the start time for the Sept. 11 clash at Boston College.

The Nittany Lions and Eagles, meeting for the second time in as many seasons, will kick off at 8:00 p.m. in Alumni Stadium (44,500) in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The game will be televised by ABC for the second straight season and will be a split-national telecast. It is the first ABC appearance announced for the Nittany Lions for the 2004 campaign. Penn State, which has had at least one non-conference game aired on ABC in each season since joining the Big Ten, had five games televised by the network in 2003 and owns a 68-49-1 record all-time in games aired on ABC.

The 8:00 p.m. start will also mark the fifth consecutive season in which Penn State has played at least one regular season night game. The last time that occurred was from 1983-89.

Penn State owns a 19-3 record all-time against Boston College, but the Eagles have prevailed in the last two meetings, including a 27-14 victory in Beaver Stadium last year and a 35-32 thriller in State College in 1992. Penn State will be playing at Boston College for the first time since taking home a 40-21 victory in the 1990 season. The Nittany Lions have never lost at Boston College in eight games on the Eagles' home field. Eagle Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie still holds the all-time passing record by an opponent against Penn State as he threw for 520 yards in a 52-17 Penn State victory at Boston College in 1982. Times and television coverage have been previously set for three other Penn State contests. The Sept. 18 contest with the University of Central Florida in Beaver Stadium will kick off at 12:10 p.m. and will air an ESPN Plus regionally. Penn State's Sept. 25 visit to Wisconsin will kick at 4:45 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. CDT (5:45 or 6:00 p.m. EDT) and will air on ESPN or ESPN2, and Penn State's Oct. 9 Big Ten home opener with Purdue will kick off at 4:30 p.m. and air nationally on ESPN.

Penn State has appeared on television in 115 of its last 117 games over the past 10 years.

Future Penn State contests may be selected by the networks under the six and 12-day provisions of their contracts with the Big Ten.

Coach Joe Paterno's squad returns 32 lettermen and 15 starters for the upcoming season. The Nittany Lions will face eight teams that played in bowl games last season, including all four Big Ten home opponents: Purdue (Oct. 9), Iowa (Oct. 23, Homecoming), Northwestern (Nov. 6) and Michigan State (Nov. 20).