It’s not often that someone can say they visited the Lincoln Memorial and watched a Penn State football game in the same afternoon. But with Indiana University’s decision to move their 2010 home game against the Nittany Lions to FedEx Field, Penn State will play football in the area for the first time since 1993.

Indiana University Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass announced today that the athletic department has reached an agreement with the Washington Redskins and FedEx Field to move its 2010 Big Ten Conference home game with Penn State to the Redskins’ home facility in Landover, Md. The game will be played on Nov. 20, 2010.

The ‘agreement’ is a lucrative one for Indiana – Redskins Owner Dan Snyder paid three million dollars to host the game. Eric from Read Between The Lions has a clear idea of what the Hoosiers are giving up for the payday:

Why Washington D.C., you ask? Well it’s simple. Redskins owner Dan Snyder knows who the opponent is, he knows he can pack the place with Northern Virginia Penn State fans, and likely a handful from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland too.

In short, it’s not going to be an IU home game at all. It suddenly turns into a Penn State home game at a neutral field.

Not only is Penn State’s large alumni network working against field neutrality – Penn State Live points out that “the 2009 Penn State roster includes 13 players from Maryland, four from Virginia and five from Delaware.”

It would be naive to suggest that Penn State does not necessarily have a competitive advantage given the change in location, but that does not necessarily mean that IU comes out as a loser in this situation. The Hoosiers don’t automatically forfeit the game by (likely) giving up home field advantage – they just make $3 million more than they normally would.

I was surprised not to see any outcry regarding the choice of FedEx Field. Washington D.C. as a location makes sense, but the stadium itself has received its fair share of criticism. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, let Deadspin’s (link may not be safe for work) Drew Magary explain:

Like having seats in the stadium crawlspace? Like having your view obstructed by gigantic overhangs? Like walking thirty miles to get to your car? I’ve got the stadium for you. Given the prices they charge, every seat FedEx Field should have a giant plastic dildo sticking out of it.

But hey, it’s still a Penn State Football game.

[Source: Penn State Live]