UNIVERSITY PARK -- The Penn State Nittany Lions know where they will close out 2017. The Lions are headed to the desert.
The bowl invitations went out on Sunday, and while the Nittany Lions didn't land a bowl that's part of the national championship playoff, they did get a pretty good one.
That game is the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. It's scheduled for 4 p.m. on December 30 at University of Phoenix Stadium.
The 9th-ranked Nittany Lions will play the 11th-ranked University of Washington Huskies.
"I know our players and staff are appreciative of the opportunity," said James Franklin, Penn State's Head Football Coach. "I have coached in a lot of bowl games. I have never been to the fiesta bowl. So, I'm looking forward to that and Penn State has a great history there so we are looking to get out there and playing."
Both the Lions and the Huskies come into the game with identical 10 and 2 records.
Penn State has been to the desert before. The last Fiesta Bowl visit was in 1997 when the Lions defeated theTexas Longhorns, 38 to 15.