5 Important Fall Camp Dates for Purdue Football
In this story:
Fall camp has arrived in West Lafayette. This week, Purdue will begin its training camp for the 2026 season, hoping to make a sizable leap from last year's 2-10 campaign.
Entering this season, coach Barry Odom feels much more comfortable about the talent and depth on his roster. Now, for the next four weeks, the Boilermakers will try to put the pieces together and rebuild a program that has fallen on hard times recently.
With fall camp getting underway, here are some key dates for the Boilermakers in the coming weeks.
Thursday, Aug. 6 — Fall camp begins
The first day of fall camp and the first official step towards the 2026 season. At Big Ten Media Days, Odom said that Purdue is entering camp essentially at full strength. The only player on the roster who won't be "full go" to start is freshman Maximilian Carmicle. Having a clean bill of health to start fall camp is a major benefit, especially as players try to carve out roles for themselves.
Saturday, Aug. 8 — Fan Day
Purdue fans can see the team practice and have fun interactions on Fan Day. This event is free and open to the public. Practice will begin at 8:15 a.m. ET inside Ross-Ade Stadium, with gates opening at 8 a.m. Then, fans can meet players, take pictures and receive autographs by making their way over to the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. It's an opportunity to see the early workings of fall camp and also interact with players.
Monday, Aug. 17 — Midway through fall camp
At this time, specific dates for the team's scrimmages have not been announced, but we can assume there will be one sometime around the midway point of camp. Purdue will have 15 practices during its fall training, and Aug. 17 falls right in the middle. This is the point when guys should start to separate themselves as starters.
Thursday, Aug. 27 — Fall camp ends
Purdue will close out fall camp on Aug. 27, eight days before it takes the field at Ross-Ade Stadium for the first game of the year. The depth chart should essentially be established at this point. After this date, the Boilermakers will start moving ahead with game-week preparations.
Friday, Sept. 4 — Season opener vs. Indiana State
The 2026 college football season officially kicks off for Purdue on Sept. 4, as the Boilermakers host Indiana State under the lights at Ross-Ade Stadium. For the second time in three years, Purdue welcomes Indiana State to West Lafayette. Odom should start his second season as the head coach with a 1-0 record, but life gets much more difficult after Week 1. Purdue will play 11 power conference opponents, providing the team with a tough challenge this fall.
Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.
Follow SchutteDustin