Just had this little tidbit sent along via the IM (h/t to a none-too-pleased Crimson Quarry): Penn State will be making a rare visit to the D.C. area next year.

And it has Indiana to thank.

The Hoosiers have agreed to move their 2010 home game against the Nittany Lions to FedEx Field, collecting a cool $3 million in the process.

They've also surrendered any semblance of home-field advantage, especially since Indiana is only on the hook for 7,000 tickets for the Nov. 20 game.

The interesting thing locally is that it's clear FedEx Field is very much in the business of adding college football to its series of events. Just in the last few months, the stadium secured Virginia Tech-Boise State for Oct. 2, 2010, as well as the 2011 Army-Navy game.

It seems like there are more and more neutral-site games in college football. The Jones Mahal in Dallas is already a prime destination for made-for-TV games, and Notre Dame is committed to a neutral-field game for the forseeable future --- starting with this year's game in San Antonio against Washington State.

Toss in the season opener the Chick-Fil-A Bowl folks will put on for the second straight year at the Georgia Dome, and there's little question there is a trend in place.

It'll be curious to see how many more games come to Landover in the near future. One thing is certain: With 90,000 seats to work with in a major market, the recent announcements could be just the start of an intriguing stretch of college football in the area.

--- Patrick Stevens

• 
• Comment