Some southern schools were added to Penn State’s future football schedules today, as the Nittany Lions will host the Sun Belt’s Georgia State Panthers on Sept. 16, 2017, and will again host the Kent State Golden Flashes on Sept. 15, 2018. Because of the Georgia State addition, Penn State’s 2017 home game with Pitt will be moved to Sept. 9.

The Georgia State addition makes sense, seeing as James Franklin and his staff took part in a camp with Georgia State in June down in Atlanta. That stirred some controversy, but was also probably how this scheduling came to be. Penn State has never played Georgia State, but maybe for good reason — the Panthers went 0-12 last season, its first in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Panthers weren’t exactly a Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse either, as all-time, the young program holds a 10-23 record in three seasons there.

Kent State, meanwhile, will be a familiar face by the time the 2018 game rolls around. Penn State whacked the Golden Flashes, 34-0, in 2013, and will again meet up with the MAC member on Sept. 2, 2016, at Beaver Stadium. As for Pitt, the four-year series has the rivals playing out west in 2016 and 2018, and playing in Happy Valley in 2017 and 2019.

At least not all of Penn State’s future non-conference opponents are lightweights, as it has fairly recently announced a 2022-23 series with Virginia Tech and a 2023-24 one with West Virginia.

Disappointed in the new opponents? Happy with the chance to see a new team? Comment away.