Will the State Farm Stadium roof be open for Penn State-Boise State? And how long is halftime? FAQs answered
Penn State meets Boise State in the first-ever College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Fiesta Bowl. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. ESPN is television the contest, which marks the first time the Broncos and Nittany Lions will meet on the gridiron. Ahead of game day, head coach James Franklin’s side is a double-digit favorite over Spencer Danielson’s Mountain West champs. But, PSU is not overlooking BSU despite that fact.
“I have a ton of respect for Boise, the university, the history, the traditions,” Franklin said earlier this week. “We’re excited to play them. They have played in these games before and played well, like the games you have mentioned against big-time historical opponents. We know we have to be ready for this team, for their athletes, and just the way the university has won at a high level for a long time. I hope this shows you that Boise has our attention and has our respect.”
For those traveling to the game or who are just curious about various game day FAQs, we answer as many of them as we can below and invite you to ask any additional ones inside of The Lions Den forum.
Will the State Farm Stadium roof be open?
It will not be, according to the Fiesta Bowl’s website. It was also closed for the Lions’ 2017 Fiesta Bowl contest. This is the second indoor game for Penn State this year following the Big Ten title game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Is halftime longer than normal?
A typical college football halftime is 20 minutes. Per the Fiesta Bowl, this game’s halftime will be 22 minutes in length. The clock will start on a signal from the referee once all players and coaches from both sides have left the field. The Penn State Blue Band and the Keith Stein Blue Thunder Marching Band are both expected to perform at halftime.
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Is there an official kickoff time for Penn State-Boise State?
Not yet. That information will likely come out later Sunday or Monday.
Who is the favorite?
Penn State is a 10.5-point favorite. The over/under is 52.5 points.
What is the Penn State-Boise State game day timeline for parking lots and stadium entry?
Here’s the breakdown. All times are listed in Mountain Time, as that is what will be in effect at the venue:
11:30 am: Parking Lots Open
12:30 pm: Fan Fest & Club ’71 Open
3:30 pm: Stadium Doors Open
4:30 pm: Pregame Parties Close
5:00 pm: Pregame Ceremonies
5:30 pm: Kickoff
Is there anything special about the playing surface Penn State and Boise State will play on?
The turf is rolled in and out of State Farm Stadium. Here’s how the Fiesta Bowl explains it:
“State Farm Stadium features a unique rollout natural-grass playing field, contained in a single tray measuring 234 feet wide by 403 feet long and weighing 18.9 million pounds. It takes 70 minutes for the tray to roll from outside to inside.”
Is State Farm Stadium cashless?
Yes.
Who is announcing the game?
The ESPN crew consists of Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (color commentary), and Kris Budden and Tom Luginbill (sideline reporters)
