Penn State Football filled out its 2025 schedule, adding Florida International University to the Nittany Lions non-conference schedule next season.

Penn State adds home game vs. FIU on Sept. 6, 2025, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) March 25, 2024

 

FIU will join Nevada and Villanova for a very underwhelming non-conference slate in 2025.

The Nittany Lions and FIU have played once in history, in 2007 when Penn State beat the Golden Panthers 59-0 under Joe Paterno. Interestingly, the coach for the visiting Golden Panthers that day was current Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal.

How Penn State Football Benefits from Playing FIU

Before the COVID-shortened season, Penn State was scheduled to host Virginia Tech in the spot that FIU filled Monday, however, the series was canceled after Penn State was not able to travel to Virginia Tech during the 2020 season. Needless to say, a reunion with former Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry would have been very preferable to the new schedule with FIU.

Penn State head coach James Franklin has been on record in the past, however, arguing for a weaker non-conference schedule with the grind of the Big Ten schedule and the desire to have the fewest losses possible for the playoff committee to evaluate.

Franklin mentioned at a press conference last October that a weaker non-conference schedule can help teams, especially with the Big Ten schedule being difficult enough for the strength of schedule argument for the playoff committee.

 

Franklin on non-conference scheduling: Weak non-conference schedule can help teams. Do whatever you can to give yourself the opportunity to be undefeated or the fewest losses at the end of the season. There is “another team in the conference” that would follow the same argument.

— Penn State FB Thoughts (@PSU_FB_Thoughts) October 10, 2023

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Franklin caused a stir at that press conference when referring to another Big Ten team buying out future contracts to weaken their non-conference schedule, however, the comments came from a point of admiration for the type of scheduling that opposing teams are doing. Penn State fans should get used to the weak non-conference scheduling for the future with Franklin’s comments leaning toward Penn State rarely playing marquee non-conference games if he can help it.

 

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