Big Ten Announces 2023-24 Men’s Basketball Schedule
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2023-24 composite schedule, releasing the dates of the Boilermakers’ 20-game conference slate. The announcement completes Purdue’s 31-game regular-season schedule that tips off Nov. 6, against Samford, in Mackey Arena
Times and TV designations will be released at a later date.
In its seventh straight year playing a 20-game league schedule, the Boilermakers will once again open Big Ten play prior to the holiday break. Purdue opens league play on the road for the first time since the 2017-18 season when it travels to face last year’s Big Ten runner-up, Northwestern, on Friday, Dec. 1. The Boilermakers will then close out the initial Big Ten stretch by hosting Iowa on Monday, Dec. 4.
In the previous six years under the current format, Purdue went 2-0 just twice (2017-18; 2022-23).
Following their final four non-conference games, the Boilermakers will then resume conference play, opening the New Year on Jan. 2, by traveling to face a strong Maryland squad. Following the game with the Terrapins, Purdue hosts Illinois on Jan. 5, travels to Nebraska on Jan. 9, then returns home to host Penn State on Jan. 13.
The Boilermakers will then begin their only two-game road trip on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at Indiana and Saturday, Jan. 20, at Iowa.
Purdue closes out the first half of the Big Ten schedule on Jan. 23, when it hosts Michigan, and then heads to New Jersey on Sunday, Jan. 28, to battle Rutgers.
Similar to last year, Purdue will have only four home games in its first half of the league schedule, before having the bulk of its home games in February.
Northwestern travels to Mackey Arena to begin the second half of league play on Wednesday, Jan. 31. After a game at Wisconsin on Feb. 4, Purdue returns home for its only two-game league homestand, by hosting Indiana on Saturday, Feb. 10, and Minnesota on Feb. 15.
A trip to Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 18, and a home game against Rutgers on Thursday, Feb. 22, sets up a Michigan stretch. The Boilermakers travel to Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 25, then will have six days to prepare for a key March 2 (Saturday), showdown with Michigan State in Mackey Arena.
Purdue closes out the regular season on Tuesday, March 5, at Illinois and on Sunday, March 10, when it hosts Wisconsin on Senior Day.
The Big Ten Tournament will be held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, from March 13 to 17.
For its home conference slate, Purdue will have a game in Mackey Arena on every day of the week and five weekend games (Friday through Sunday). On the road, Purdue will play four games on Tuesday and four road games in a row on Sunday (Jan. 28 – Rutgers; Feb. 4 – Wisconsin; Feb. 18 – Ohio State; Feb. 25 – Michigan). It will play six road weekend games (Friday through Sunday).
Mackey Arena has been sold out for 57 straight games dating to the 2018-19 season and the Boilermakers are 73-12 against Big Ten teams in Mackey Arena since the 2014-15 season, the league’s best record by a whopping six games.
Purdue is ranked in the top five of almost every “early” top-25 national polls after posting a 29-6 record and winning the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles a year ago. The Boilermakers have been ranked in the AP top five in 16 straight weeks entering the season.