3 Things About Purdue Basketball Playing in the Fort Myers Tip-Off
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Purdue is officially heading to Florida for Thanksgiving. The program confirmed this week that it will be participating in the Fort Myers Tip-Off, where it will play games against DePaul and Oklahoma during college basketball's "Feast Week."
The Boilermakers begin the event on Tuesday, Nov. 24 against DePaul. Two days later, they'll go head-to-head with Oklahoma on Thanksgiving. The other team participating is Pitt, but the Boilers and Panthers will not play each other.
Here are a few quick thoughts about Purdue's participating in this year's MTE in Fort Myers.
Purdue hasn't played Oklahoma, DePaul since 2000s
This multi-team event will feature two teams that Purdue hasn't played in nearly 20 years. The Boilermakers will begin the Fort Myers Tip-Off against DePaul, a program it hasn't faced since 2006. On Thanksgiving, they'll take on Oklahoma, with the last meeting coming in 2008.
It's an opportunity for Purdue to play two power conference opponents that it doesn't often see. It works into Matt Painter's scheduling strategy of playing a variety of teams with varying styles. That's a method that helps the Boilers prepare for the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season.
Purdue has played DePaul 21 times, owning a 12-9 advantage. The Boilers and Sooners have met 10 times, with Oklahoma leading the series 6-4.
Boilers have won five consecutive 5 MTEs
Purdue has enjoyed plenty of success in multi-team events over the last five years, winning each of the last five it has participated in. It's been an impressive run and has helped the program build a strong non-conference resume for NCAA Tournament seeding later down the road.
MTE victories for Purdue include the Hall of Fame Tip Off (2021), Phil Knight Legacy (2022), Maui Invitational (2023), Rady Children's Invitational (2024) and Baha Mar Championship (2025).
During this successful streak, the Boilers have won a total of 12 consecutive games in MTEs since the 2021-22 season. They have defeated nine ranked opponents, including five teams that were ranked inside the top 10 of the Associated Press poll.
The Boilermakers haven't been feasting on mid-major programs in these events. They've been playing premier programs and top-level talent regularly. It's been a major source of pride for Purdue to defeat so many quality opponents early in the season.
Great test for a younger, newer team
The Fort Myers Tip-Off may not feature the same field Purdue saw in the 2022 Phil Knight Legacy (West Virginia, No. 6 Gonzaga and No. 8 Duke) or the 2023 Maui Invitational (No. 11 Gonzaga, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 4 Marquette), but it does present a unique challenge to a younger, newer team.
Although Purdue returns 10 members from last year's team and is bringing in a four-man recruiting class, several players will still be getting comfortable in new roles. This is also a team that will have just one senior, Princeton transfer Caden Pierce.
This is a group that will be learning on the move, especially early in the 2026-27 season. This feels like a perfect field to help the Boilermakers find out where they stand before the month of December.
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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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