FIU Football Releases 2025 Schedule

@ Penn State Nittany Lions: Saturday, September 6

The toughest opponent FIU will face all season resides in Beaver Stadium. The Panthers will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions who made it to the College Football Playoff Semifinals, boasting a 13-3 record.

The Nittany Lions will have quarterback Drew Allar returning. He completed 262 passes for 3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2024. Running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are also returning after rushing for over 1,000 yards each. Penn State's defense ranked seventh nationally in 2024 and their offense ranked 26th.

vs. Florida Atlantic: Saturday, September 13

The 23rd edition of the Shula Bowl will feature two new head coaches: Zach Kittley and Willie Simmons. FIU will be looking for their first win since 2016 against Florida Atlantic. Last season, the Panthers dropped the Shula Bowl in Boca Raton by a final score of 38-20.

vs. Delaware: Saturday, September 20

FIU will open conference play at home against Delaware, one of two new teams in Conference USA. In their final season at the FCS level, they posted a 9-2 overall record.

Last season, FIU defeated Louisiana Tech to open conference play with a 1-0 record for the first time since 2018.

@ UConn Huskies: Saturday, October 4

Last season, the UConn Huskies did not lose to a Group of Five team, finishing with a 9-4 record and defeating North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl. FIU last took on the Huskies in 2023, defeating them on the road by a final score of 24-17.

@ Western Kentucky: Tuesday, October 14

The last time FIU was up in Bowling Green, they got crushed by a final score of 73-0 - the worst loss in program history. The Panthers' last win against the Hilltoppers came in 2018. These two teams last faced each other in the final game of the 2023 season where Western Kentucky won, 41-28 in Miami. FIU's matchup against Western Kentucky marks the first of three confirmed weekday games in 2025.

vs. Kennesaw State: Tuesday, October 21

After a brutal loss to the Owls in 2024, FIU will look to bounce back against them. The Owls finished their season with a 2-10 record. They went on to hire Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Jerry Mack to lead their team.

This will mark a battle of two former HBCU coaches. Mack, a former head coach at North Carolina Central from 2014-17 and Willie Simmons, who has been the head coach at multiple HBCUs with his most recent stop at Florida A&M.

@ Missouri State: Wednesday, October 29

The Panthers will travel to Springfield, Missouri to take on the Bears for the first time in program history. Missouri State posted an 8-4 record last season, going 4-1 at home. This will mark their first season at the FBS level.

@ Middle Tennessee State: Saturday, November 8

One of the toughest places to play amongst the Group of Five is Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, home of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Last season, FIU snapped a five-game losing streak against them in a 35-24 win.

The last time FIU went into Floyd Stadium and came out with the win was in 2011. For perspective, Willie Simmons was the offensive coordinator/running backs coach for the Blue Raiders and Kenneth Gilstrap was a player for Simmons. On the other side, Frank Ponce and Edwin Pata, who are back on the FIU staff were on Mario Cristobal's staff that year.

vs. Liberty: Saturday, November 15

This matchup in Lynchburg last season was a showdown in which the Flames came out on top, winning by a final score of 31-24 in overtime. This time, the Flames are coming down to Pitbull Stadium to face the Panthers. In 2023, these two teams met in Miami and Liberty spoiled homecoming by a score of 38-6.

Liberty will be without quarterback Kaidon Salter who transferred to Colorado and running back Quinton Cooley who entered the NFL Draft following the season.

vs. Jacksonville State: Saturday, November 22

It's hard to forget the Panthers' matchup against the Gamecocks these last two seasons. These two teams will now take each other on for a third consecutive season, this time in Miami.

In 2023, FIU had all the momentum in the second half after benching Keyone Jenkins and going with experienced starter Grayson James, who was leading the offense. It looked like FIU had just recovered their own punt, but what was considered a controversial fair catch rule was implemented and the Panthers fell by a final score of 41-16.

FIU was eliminated from bowl contention in 2024 on the road in a very close game, which ended in a 34-31 loss.

@ Sam Houston State: Saturday, November 29

For the first time since 2021, FIU will finish the season on the road. The last time FIU won a road game, it was against this same Sam Houston team in an overtime thriller. If the Panthers are on the edge of bowl game contention in late November, this game will become even more significant.

Bye weeks: September 27 and October 8

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