2024-25 Purdue Big Ten Basketball Opponents Announced

Big changes are in store for the Big Ten next year. The addition of Washington, Oregon, USC, and UCLA make for a severely unbalanced schedule. There are still 20 games, but with 17 different opponents there is not a lot of room for home-and-homes. The new schedule will feature just three home-and-home pairings, while Purdue will play seven of the remaining 14 teams at home and the other seven teams on the road.

Today the conference announced the opponents for 2024-25, and here they are.

First, Purdue keeps its protected home-and-home series with Indiana. The other two home-and-home opponents are undergoing changes. Rutgers struggled big time in 2023-24, but it has one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Michigan finished last in the conference and is rebuilding under new coach Dusty May.

Purdue will carry a winning record all-time record against every current Big Ten team, but it has work to do against the new four.

Among the other games perhaps the most highly anticipated is the home game against UCLA. The conenction between the schools because of John Wooden is undeniable, especially when Mackey Arena was opened in 1967 against the Bruins. The last meeting between the two came on December 30, 2000 and UCLA won 87-82. Purdue is just 3-10 against them all-time.

USC has not come to Mackey Arena since 1939 and hasn't played Purdue since 1988. Purdue trails them 3-4 in the all-time series.

Oregon was the only school of the new four to play in the NCAA Tournament this past year and they have a 2-2 record all-time against Purdue. The last meeting also came in 1988.

Washington is the only team Purdue has played during the Matt Painter era, and the Boilermakers won 76-74 in the 2009 NCAA Tournament in Portland, Oregon. That moved Purdue to 1-4 against the Huskies all-time, but that 2009 game is the only game between the two since 1967.

As always, defending home court and winning ont he road is critical to winning the conference, and Purdue got a few breaks there. Purdue won its last game on the home courts of its other eight conference opponents aside from Oregon and Washington. Oregon and Michigan State were the only teams on the road that made last year's NCAA Tournament.

Purdue is, of course, looking for a third consecutive conference title.