Football Season Starts Soon For GA State: See GSU's Schedule

ATLANTA — NCAA Division I college football begins this weekend, with fans of Georgia State University eager to kick off the season.

Georgia State will open its football slate on Sept. 4 against the U.S. Military Academy West Point Black Knights from the Panther’s home field of Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, according to the school’s schedule as shared by FBSchedules.com.

Other big matchups this season include home stands against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Oct. 2, and the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Nov. 20. The Panthers will travel to Statesboro on Oct. 30 to face state rivals the Georgia Southern Eagles, and go on the road to match up against three nationally-ranked teams: the #10 North Carolina Tar Heels, on Sept. 11, the #23 the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns on Nov. 4, and the #22 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Nov. 13. The location and time of day of the Dec. 4 Sun Belt Conference Championship will be announced prior to the season’s end.

The preseason Associated Press poll shows Georgia State unranked.

Defending national champion Alabama has the AP poll’s No. 1 ranking. The Crimson Tide are followed by Oklahoma, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia making up the rest of the top five.

The USA Today/Coaches preseason poll has the No. 2 and No. 3 teams switched, with Clemson ranked ahead of Oklahoma there. Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia have the same preseason rank in both polls.

College football returns to a more traditional schedule in 2021, a year after the coronavirus caused a number of game cancellations and schedule alterations.

Last year, games in most conferences were limited to only conference play. The Big Ten and Pac-12 seasons started late.

Even Notre Dame, long known as a football independent, joined the Atlantic Coast Conference for one season only to keep playing amid the pandemic. The Fighting Irish are back as an independent this year.

Georgia State Panthers Full Season Schedule:

• Sept. 4, 12 p.m., Army Black Knights, Home
• Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., #10 North Carolina Tar Heels, Away
• Sept. 18, 7 p.m., Charlotte 49ers, Home
• Sept. 25, TBA, Auburn Tigers, Away
• Oct. 2, TBA, Appalachian State Mountaineers, Home
• Oc. 9, 8 p.m., ULM Warhawks, Away
• Oct. 16, Bye
• Oct. 23, TBA, Texas State Bobcats, Home
• Oct. 30, 6 p.m., Georgia Southern Eagles, Away
• Nov. 4, TBA, #23 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, Away
• Nov. 13, TBA, #22 Coastal Carolina, Away
• Nov. 20, TBA, Arkansas State Red Wolves, Home
• Nov. 27, TBA, Troy Trojans, Home
• Dec. 4, TBA, Sun Belt Championship