The Clemson Tigers will open the 2027 college football season at home with a nonconference matchup against a Group of Six opponent.
According to multiple reports Thursday, Clemson will face the Georgia State Panthers in its 2027 opener on Aug. 28 at Memorial Stadium. The Panthers are a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
It will mark the second all-time meeting between Clemson and Georgia State, which played its inaugural season in 2010 as an independent at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level and transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2014.
The news was first reported by FBSSchedules.com and confirmed by The State's Chapel Fowler and The Post and Courier's Jackson Castellano. Clemson had already been scheduled to face
Georgia State in November 2027 but the date of the game was moved up in June, Fowler reported.
Clemson defeated Georgia State, 28-0, in the teams' only head-to-head matchup to date on Nov. 22, 2014 at Memorial Stadium. The Panthers finished 1-10 a season ago, just a year after posting a 3-9 record in 2024. Dell McGee is in his third season as head coach at Georgia State.
The game will mark the first time since 2018 that Clemson has not opened a season against a Power Four team. The Tigers met Furman in their season opener on Sept. 1, 2018, in a 48-7 Clemson victory.
Clemson has lost five of its last six season openers, including four straight.
Can confirm that Clemson football will open the 2027 season at home against Georgia State, as @FBSchedules first reported. Game was originally scheduled for November but has been moved up to Saturday, Aug. 28. This change happened in late June, per contract obtained via FOIA
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) September 10, 2026
Contact us at @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football's 2027 season-opening opponent is revealed
