Georgia State adds Clemson 2027, Alabama 2028 and Gardner‑Webb

Georgia State has locked in three future non‑conference games that reshape its next two recruiting cycles: the Panthers will open 2027 at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium on Sept. 4 against Gardner‑Webb, host UAB on Sept. 18, visit East Carolina on Sept. 25, and travel to Memorial Stadium to face Clemson on Nov. 6, 2027, while the 2028 season will begin with a Sept. 2 trip to Bryant‑Denny Stadium against Alabama. Georgia State Athletics said, “With the scheduling of Gardner Webb and Clemson, the Georgia State football program has finalized its full non‑conference slate for the 2027 season,” and the schedule tracker FBSchedules corroborated the Clemson date and the Gardner‑Webb opener.

The slate puts two Power Five road tests on the Panthers’ horizon and one first‑ever meeting with an FCS opponent. Gardner‑Webb, which competes in the OVC‑Big South Football Association, marks the first time Georgia State will face the Runnin' Bulldogs. The Clemson date is only Georgia State’s second all‑time meeting with the Tigers; Clemson beat the Panthers 28-0 on Nov. 22, 2014, per FBSchedules. Alabama and Georgia State have met twice previously, with Alabama wins of 63-7 in 2010 and 45-3 in 2013, a head-to-head history Tide100.9 highlighted when confirming the Panthers as Alabama’s 2028 home opener.

Those historical scores underline the competitive challenge Georgia State is scheduling into its non‑conference plan. Playing in Death Valley on Nov. 6 and Bryant‑Denny on Sept. 2 will demand upgrades in depth and talent acquisition for the Panthers, and the dates provide marquee exposure windows for recruits and NFL evaluators even as they pose steep on-field tests. The Gardner‑Webb opener at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium gives Georgia State a controllable home start and a new matchup for player development before the midseason run of conference and Power Five tests.

Clemson’s placement of Georgia State in the November calendar also feeds into broader scheduling trends. Commentary site RubbingTheRock labeled the Tigers’ 2027 planning “2027 Slate With Teeth” and argued that inserting a non‑conference opponent late in the season creates an “SEC-style” scheduling approach for Clemson, a tactic that can give a program a midseason breather ahead of rivalry games. For Georgia State, a November trip to Memorial Stadium is both exposure and a strategic gamble on competing late in the season at a hostile Power Five venue.

Alabama’s coverage at Tide100.9 confirmed the Sept. 2, 2028 slot but flagged a complication: Alabama currently lists 13 opponents for 2028 under the SEC’s nine‑game conference format and will need to drop at least one non‑conference game. That reality leaves Georgia State’s 2028 trip secure on the books now but potentially vulnerable to future schedule adjustments by the Crimson Tide.

Georgia State noted that “additional game times and broadcast information for all contests will be announced at a later date,” giving the athletic department time to align TV windows, guarantee payouts, and recruiting calendars. Finalizing these matchups gives athletic director scheduling leverage and sets clear benchmarks for roster construction, NIL planning, and recruiting classes that will be judged against the rigors of Clemson and Alabama.