Just came over the wire this afternoon that Penn State and the Navy Midshipmen have agreed to terms to play each other in Beaver Stadium in 2012.
Penn State Director of Athletics Tim Curley and Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced today that Nittany Lions and Midshipmen will meet on Sept. 15, 2012 in Beaver Stadium. Penn State and Navy have played 37 times previously, but the squads will be meeting for the first time since 1974.
The Nittany Lions and Midshipmen actually have a pretty decent history together having met on the field 37 times. Penn State holds the series advantage 18-17-2. But the two institutions have not met each other since 1974 when the Midshipmen upset Penn State 7-6.
So now the 2012 non-conference schedule is in place and it consists of Ohio, @Virginia, Navy, and Temple. Obviously it's tough to say at this point where Virginia is going to be two years from now, so I think Penn State did a smart move in scheduling Navy. They could have gone out and secured Coastal Carolina or Villanova to get an easy pay day, but they managed to get a respectable Div. IA team that is usually bowl eligible. And any time you play a service academy the game takes on an instant national appeal.
Count me as one who is excited to see the Midshipmen come to Happy Valley. Now let's treat them with more class than Rutgers did.