Purdue Basketball's Presence at Ross-Ade Stadium Draws Large Ovation From Crowd
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It doesn't matter where they go in town, the Purdue men's basketball team gets royal treatment. Members of the squad made an appearance at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, drawing a large ovation from Boilermaker fans in attendance.
During Saturday's game between Purdue and No. 22 Illinois, the men's basketball team was introduced in front of the Ross-Ade Brigade — the student section for the football team. As you can imagine, the ovation was quite loud.
💛 Appreciate the love, Boiler Nation! pic.twitter.com/4ksdCC03kr
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) October 4, 2025
Purdue is entering one of the most anticipated seasons in program history. The Boilermakers are considered favorites to win the Big Ten and make a run for a national championship. They return veterans Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn, and brought in Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy via the transfer portal.
This is a Boilermaker basketball team that also brings back Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox, Raleigh Burgess, Daniel Jacobsen, and Jack Benter. Plus, they added guards Omer Mayer and Antione West Jr. via the 2025 recruiting class.
Purdue will play its first game on Friday, Oct. 24, traveling to Lexington for an exhibition game against Kentucky. The Boilermakers will open the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 4 when they host Evansville at Mackey Arena.
Fan Day is coming up
As you can tell, the Boilermakers are viewed as celebrities in the Greater Lafayette area. Fans will get their first chance to catch a glimpse of the 2025-26 squad in action later this month.
On Saturday, Oct. 18, Purdue is hosting a Fan Day, opening the doors of Mackey Arena to the public for a chance to watch the men's and women's basketball teams practice, as well as host a one-hour autograph session.
Doors to Mackey Arena will open at 9:30 a.m. ET, and the event is open and free to the public. Below are the details for the Purdue Basketball Fan Day later this month:
- 9:30-10 a.m. ET: Doors open
- 10-11:30 a.m. ET: Women's basketball practice/scrimmage
- 11:45-12:45 p.m. ET: Autograph session with men's and women's teams
- 1-2:30 p.m. ET: men's basketball practice/scrimmage
For those wanting autographs from the players, there is one important thing to note: Purdue will provide autograph cards to those individuals hoping for signatures from players. It's the only item players will sign throughout the day, according to a release from PurdueSports.com. Outside items are not permitted and will not be autographed.
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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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