Mark it Down, Purdue Fans — Tipoff Times Announced for Final Four, Championship Games
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The 2026 Final Four is still five months away, but it's always wise to plan. On Tuesday, the NCAA announced tipoff times for the Final Four and national championship games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. As the preseason No. 1 team, there's a high expectation for Purdue to return to college basketball's pinnacle event.
Here's a look at the dates, tipoff times, and television information for the 2026 Final Four:
Saturday, April 4
- Final Four Semifinal Game 1 — 6 p.m. ET (TV: TBS)
- Final Four Semifinal Game 2 — 8:30 p.m. ET (approx.) (TV: TBS)
Monday, April 6
- National Championship Game — 8:30 p.m. ET (TV: TBS)
Is it championship or bust for Purdue?
With Purdue returning three talented veterans in Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer, there were high expectations for the program to challenge for another Final Four run during the 2025-26 season.
That expectation only increased when Purdue added Oscar Cluff from the transfer portal and landed a commitment from Omer Mayer. Plus, the Boilermakers returned 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen from injury and brought back key contributors in Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox.
Purdue's roster looks like one built to make a run at a national championship. But is it title or bust for the Boilers this year? Coach Matt Painter responded to that question earlier this fall.
"True. True," he told Field of 68. "But 'bust' isn't like your program falls apart."
The Boilermakers made a run to the National Championship Game at the end of the 2023-24 season, falling to UConn in the title game and coming up one win shy of bringing an NCAA championship to West Lafayette.
Will this be the year the Boilermakers finally capitalize on the opportunity and hoist that trophy high into the air?
Purdue prepares for regular season
The wait is almost over before Purdue's regular season tips off. The Boilermakers host Evansville on Nov. 4. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, and the game will air on Big Ten Network.
Purdue is coming off a season in which it finished 24-12 and reached the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. But the Boilers have greater expectations this year.
If Purdue can win another Big Ten title, it will be the program's third in the past four seasons. If they can make a run to the Final Four, it will be the second time in three years.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
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KAUFMAN-RENN NOT WORRIED ABOUT POOR SHOOTING: Trey Kaufman-Renn struggled from the field in Purdue's loss to Kentucky on Friday, but it won't shake his confidence moving forward. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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