Purdue won’t be straying from scheduling top-notch opponents in the non-conference portion of its schedule. On Wednesday, the program announced that it has scheduled a home-and-home series with Tennessee, one of the top teams from the SEC.
The series is scheduled for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. Purdue will host Tennessee at Mackey Arena on Dec. 12, 2026. The two teams will then play at Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 11, 2027.
Purdue and Tennessee have played seven times, and the Boilermakers own a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series. During the 2023-24 season, Purdue defeated Tennessee twice; once in the Maui Invitational in November 2023 and again in the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The win over the Volunteers in the Elite Eight secured Purdue’s first Final Four appearance since 1980. In 2019, the Boilermakers defeated Tennessee in the Sweet 16 round of March Madness.
Under Matt Painter, Purdue has made a habit of scheduling tough non-conference games to help his team prepare for Big Ten play and the NCAA Tournament. It’s a formula that has worked well, often resulting in high finishes in the conference standings and good seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
This year, Purdue will play No. 15 Alabama, Memphis, No. 16 Iowa State, Marquette, and No. 20 Auburn in non-conference play. The Boilers will also play either No. 10 Texas Tech or Wake Forest in the Baha Mar Championship.
Purdue center Zach Edey (15) is defended by Tennessee forward Tobe Awaka (11) and guard Dalton Knecht (3) / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
Since Rick Barnes took over in 2015, Tennessee has often found itself near the top of the SEC standings. The Volunteers won the conference title in 2018 and 2024, and won the SEC Tournament in 2022.
Tennessee has finished inside the top four of the SEC standings seven times in the last eight years. The Volunteers have also made the March Madness field each of the last seven years, making four trips to the Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight appearances.
Barnes has produced a consistent winner in Knoxville, one that is still attempting to make its first Final Four. It should be a tremendous challenge to the Boilermakers in both seasons, but especially the 2026-27 campaign.
While Purdue will (presumably) have experience with Gicarri Harris, Omer Mayer, CJ Cox, Jack Benter, Daniel Jacobsen, and Antione West Jr. back, it will also be the first season after the departures of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer.
It will provide Painter with a good early test to see where his team stands.
LOYER, SMITH MAKE BIG SPLASH IN OPENER: Both Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith carved out a little bit of history in Tuesday night’s 82-51 victory over Evansville at Mackey Arena. CLICK HERE
BENTER MAKES MOST OF OPPORTUNITY: Jack Benter was pushed into a starting role in his first career game with Trey Kaufman-Renn out on Tuesday night. The redshirt freshman delivered in a big way. CLICK HERE
LATEST ON ANTIONE WEST JR. REDSHIRT STATUS: What’s the latest with Purdue freshman guard Antione West Jr. and his potential redshirt status? Matt Painter provided an update following Tuesday’s game. CLICK HERE
