Penn State football has a new home on Philly radio, with Steve Jones and Jack Ham back in the booth

Entercom senior vice president David Yadgaroff, a Penn State graduate, said the new deal makes him “very happy for our listeners, the university, and all alumni.”

Longtime Penn State play-by-play announcer Steve Jones (left) returns for his 20th season in the booth. He'll be joined by analyst Jack Ham, a former Penn State linebacker best know for his role on the Pittsburgh Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defense of the 1970s.Read morePenn State athletics (custom credit) / Penn State Athletics

by Rob Tornoe

Published Aug. 6, 2019, 12:49 p.m. ET

Penn State football is moving up the radio dial this season in Philadelphia.

The university announced Tuesday that Nittany Lions games will air live on 1210 WPHT as part of a new, multi-year broadcast deal with Entercom that also includes live coverage of Penn State men’s basketball.

"The tremendous reach of Talk Radio 1210 WPHT allows us to connect with Penn State alumni and fans throughout the Delaware Valley, and promote the comprehensive excellence of Penn State Athletics,” Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour said in a statement.

David Yadgaroff, Entercom senior vice president and a Penn State graduate, said the new deal makes him “very happy for our listeners, the university, and all alumni.”

Returning to the booth for his 20th season calling Penn State football is play-by-play announcer Steve Jones. He’ll be joined on the broadcast by analyst Jack Ham, a former Nittany Lions linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer who won four Super Bowls during the 1970s with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Last season, Penn State football games aired on 990 AM WNTP.

In addition to the live games, Entercom will also air weekly Penn State football and men’s basketball coaches shows on Radio.com, along with a daily show called Inside Penn State Athletics.

Penn State opens the season at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at its Beaver Stadium against Idaho, which will air on the Big Ten Network. The Nittany Lions’ first three games are against non-conference opponents, including a primetime match-up Sept. 7 on FOX against the State University of New York’s Buffalo Bulls.

Here is the 2019 early season schedule for Penn State football:

Saturday, Aug. 31: Idaho at Penn State, 3:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Saturday, Sept. 7: Buffalo at Penn State, 7:30 p.m. (FOX)
Saturday, Sept. 14: Pittsburgh at Penn State, noon (ABC)
Saturday, Sept. 21: Bye week
Friday, Sept. 27: Penn State at Maryland, 8 p.m. (FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 5: Purdue at Penn State, noon (ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2)

Heading into the season, Penn State head coach James Franklin said he loves the speed on the Nittany Lions’ roster, including 258-pound redshirt freshman defensive end Jayson Oweh, who shared on Twitter his 4.33-second 40-yard dash time.

“We’re fast, and it’s not just at the typical positions like running back where you recruit a guy like Journey Brown, who broke the all-time 100-meter record in the state of Pennsylvania, Franklin said last month during the Big Ten’s football media days. "A lot of our guys are guys that are new to football, like Jayson Oweh’s an example of that. His numbers are freakish in a lot of ways, but he’s also a pretty inexperienced football player.”