Colorado to Face Big Ten Powerhouse on Non-Conference Schedule

The Colorado Buffaloes 2026-27 men's basketball schedule is starting to come together. Colorado has their home and road opponents set for Big 12 conference play and will now be taking on a premier Big Ten program in the non-conference.

Colorado Buffaloes Scheduled to Play Purdue Boilermakers

colorado buffaloes tad boyle purdue boilermakers matt painter big ten big 12 conference ncaa tournament march madness — Mar 25, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter addresses the media in a press conference during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Per Colorado's athletic department, the Buffaloes will be taking on the Purdue Boilermakers in a non-conference matchup on Dec. 19 of this year. The game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is a little more than an hour drive from Purdue's campus, making this "neutral" site game essentially a home game for the Boilermakers.

This will be a difficult game for Colorado that will likely end up with them being big underdogs to even keep the game close. Purdue is among the most consistent programs in all of college hoops. The Boilermakers have made the NCAA Tournament 11 straight times (not including the cancelled 2020 tournament).

During this time period going back to the 2014-15 season, Purdue has won the Big Ten regular season title four times and the Big Ten conference tournament title two times under coach Matt Painter. They have also had their fair share of NCAA Tournament success. They made the Sweet 16 seven times and were the national runners-up in 2024.

In 2025-26, Purdue went 30-9 overall, winning the Big Ten conference tournament and going on a run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. They were eliminated by the No. 1 seeded Arizona Wildcats. Purdue was a No. 2 seed.

Colorado on the other hand is coming off back-to-back seasons without making the NCAA Tournament. In 2025-26, the Buffs went 17-16 overall with a mark of 7-11 in Big 12 conference play, The Big 12 has proven to be a challenge for Colorado since re-joining the league prior to the 2024-25 season.

They have an overall record in Big 12 play the last two seasons of 10-28.

In non-conference play last season, Colorado went 10-3. Their biggest wins were over the San Francisco Dons and Washington Huskies in the Acrisure Holiday Classic. Their three losses in non-conference play were to the Colorado State Rams, Stanford Cardinal, and Northern Colorado Bears.

This will mark the 17th year for Buffs coach Tad Boyle in Boulder. Boyle has accumulated an overall record of 329-220 with Colorado since taking over in 2010. He has led Colorado to the NCAA Tournament a total of six times and has three NCAA Tournament wins.

Colorado heads into 2026-27 with a new-look roster. The Buffs lost three of their top scorers from last season to the transfer portal and will have to hope the players they have now can fill that void. Among Colorado's departing players is leading scorer, guard Isaiah Johnson, who is now with the Texas Longhorns.

The Buffs have three incoming transfers and they are all listed as forwards: David Gomez, Noah Feddersen, and Justin Neely.

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