Purdue Football's Future Game Against ACC Foe Scratched Due to Scheduling Change

A future game between Purdue and an ACC opponent is no longer on the 2027 schedule, according to a report.

Sep 12, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Hudauri Hines (4) jumps to celebrate a play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A 2027 non-conference game between Purdue and North Carolina is no longer on the books. According to FBSchedules.com, next year's matchup featuring the Boilermakers and Tar Heels has been scratched, due to the ACC's new nine-game scheduling model.

Next year's non-conference clash was initially set for Sept. 11, 2027. Purdue was scheduled to host North Carolina at Ross-Ade Stadium, then take a trip to Chapel Hill during the 2031 season.

The news comes as the ACC adopts a new nine-game scheduling model for its conference teams. That means each program can only schedule three non-conference opponents. FBSchedules.com reported that the Tar Heels will now play UCF, UConn and North Alabama outside of league play.

With that scheduling news, Purdue will have one void to fill on its 2027 schedule. The Boilermakers are currently scheduled to play Notre Dame on Sept. 4 and Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 18.

At this time, Purdue has not announced a potential replacement for North Carolina on its 2027 schedule. In addition to those two non-conference games, the Boilers also know their Big Ten opponents for next season.

Purdue will play Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Penn State and UCLA at home. The Boilers will travel to play Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State and Oregon. Dates for those games have not been announced at this time.

A break for Purdue?

Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Hudauri Hines (4) and defensive back John Slaughter (13). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is significant news for Purdue, which has regularly scheduled 11 Power Four opponents in its non-conference slate for years. Lately, it hasn't been in the best interest of the program, but the school has trudged forward playing a more challenging schedule.

Because of Purdue's recent struggles, many have pushed for the program to schedule more Group of Six and FCS opponents, hoping it would boost the team's win total each year. With North Carolina coming off the schedule in 2027, it opens the door for the Boilermakers to head down that path.

Right now, Purdue still has plenty of challenges ahead with its future schedules. The Boilermakers have future Power Four games against Notre Dame (2027, 2028), Wake Forest (2028), Vanderbilt (2029), TCU (2030) and Ole Miss (2033, 2034).

We'll see if Purdue keeps those games on its future schedules or if there are any changes on the horizon. At the very least, scratching the North Carolina game from next year's schedule gives the Boilers a chance to add a Group of Six team to the slate.

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