Purdue Boilermakers Basketball

First up, the name. Purdue’s unusual appellation apparently originates from an 1891 newspaper report on a football game in which Purdue thumped Wabash College 44-0. "Slaughter of Innocents," read the headline, “Wabash Snowed Completely Under by the Burly Boiler Makers from Purdue." And thus, the Purdue Boilermakers were born. If anything, Purdue’s basketball teams have come to outshine their gridiron brothers over the decades, emerging as one of the most successful NCAA Division 1 basketball programs in the United States. The Boilermakers have had considerable success within the strong Big Ten Conference, particularly in the 1980s and 90s, when the team surged to 6 conference titles under legendary head coach Gene Keady. The Boilermakers basketball program has also produced many players who have moved on to star in the NBA, including Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, Joe Barry Carroll, and Brad Miller. The team has also been a consistent participant in the NCAA postseason March Madness tournament through the years with 30 appearances in which the Boilermakers reached the Sweet 16 on 13 occasions, the Elite 8 on 5, and the Final Four twice. The wait for a first NCAA title still goes on, however, with the closest call way back in 1969 when the Boilermakers lost in the championship final to the powerful UCLA Bruins dynasty by a score of 92-72. Recent seasons at Purdue have led to building anticipation, however, with the team qualifying for 11 March Madness tournaments since 2010, reaching the Sweet 16 on 5 of those occasions and Elite 8 once in 2019. The Boilermakers’ promising 2023 season, however, in which they went 29-6 and won both the conference regular season and tournament, ended in bitter March Madness disappointment when the Boilermakers (No. 1 seed) were upset 63-58 by the No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson Knights in the first round. Boilermakers fans will be hoping that this was just a blip and that their team will be back in 2024 to bring home the school’s first national title at last!

How can I get cheap tickets to Purdue Boilermakers games?

Located in the small college town of West Lafayette, Indiana, Mackey Arena pulls in large crowds to Purdue Boilermakers home games. The team’s long history of success (and crushing disappointment at times!) has led to local pride through increased national recognition, making the team a huge draw for basketball fans from all over Indiana and beyond. This leads to a fantastic atmosphere in Mackey Arena, but it can make landing tickets difficult, especially for postseason tournament games, key conference deciders, or rivalry matchups (see below). For the cheapest tickets to exciting Purdue Boilermakers games, search the TicketX listings on this page and use our trusty TicketX seating chart to compare prices and locations. Tickets can be purchased from TicketX with a single click for the lowest commission fees! 

Purdue Boilermakers Basketball Rivalries

While there are definitely several teams in the Big Ten Conference that Boilermakers fans particularly enjoy beating on the hardcourt, people from Purdue will tell you that they really have only one rival, the Indiana Hoosiers. The two teams have battled for dominance over the hoops-mad state of Indiana since their first meeting in 1901, meeting at least once a year ever since. Purdue has the upper hand in the all-time series at 126-92 and slightly edges the Hoosiers in terms of Big Ten Conference titles (25 to the Hoosiers’ 22), but looks covetously at Indiana’s record of 5 NCAA championship titles (the Boilermakers are still waiting for their first). The Hoosiers-Boilermakers rivalry is nationally recognized as one of the greatest basketball rivalries in all of college basketball and their annual games result in great excitement and anticipation. 

Are Purdue Boilermakers basketball games exciting?

The wildest group of fans at Boilermakers, known as the Paint Crew after former head coach Matt Painter, usually takes up residence behind both baskets, doing its utmost to distract the opponents and spur their team on with chants of “Boiler Up! Hammer Down!” The Purdue All-American Marching Band adds another layer of fun (and noise!) to proceedings. A Boilermakers college basketball game at Mackey Arena is an experience that you won’t soon forget!