The Big Ten Conference has announced its 2013-14 men’s basketball schedule, releasing the dates and times for the Boilermakers’ 18-game conference schedule. The releasing of the Big Ten schedule completes Purdue’s 31-game regular-season slate that will tip off Nov. 8 at Mackey Arena against Northern Kentucky after exhibition games on Oct. 30 against Indianapolis and Nov. 4 versus Wayne State (Neb.).
Purdue’s single-play conference opponents consist of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State and Iowa, while the Boilermakers will play home-and-home contests with Ohio State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Purdue opens the Big Ten season with a New Year’s Eve day game against Ohio State in Mackey Arena, beginning at 1 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2. It will be the 169th meeting between the two squads as the Buckeyes are the only Big Ten team to own a winning record against Purdue, holding a slim 85-83 series lead. Purdue will return the trip to Columbus, Ohio, and Value City Arena on Saturday, Feb. 8.
The Boilermakers will hit the road for the first time in Big Ten play the following weekend when they travel to Minneapolis to face Minnesota at Williams Arena on Sunday, Jan. 5, before the Gophers return the trip to Keady Court on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014. Purdue owns a 98-80 series lead against Minnesota and will be looking to win its 100th game against the Gophers this season.
Purdue will then take a week off before hosting Nebraska on Sunday, Jan. 12, in the first of two meetings with the Cornhuskers. Purdue holds a 9-3 series advantage against Nebraska and will be meeting the Cornhuskers for just the fifth and sixth times during the Big Ten era after Nebraska entered the league prior to the 2011-12 season. Purdue will return to Lincoln on Feb. 23, its first game in Nebraska’s new facility, the 15,200-seat Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Purdue will then make the 93-mile drive west to Champaign, Ill., to face Illinois on Wednesday, Jan. 15. It will be the lone meeting this year between the two squads as the Boilermakers own a 96-85 series advantage as the Boilermakers have won eight of the last nine games against the Illini.
Continuing its alternating home-and-away fashion, Purdue returns to Mackey Arena on Saturday, Jan. 18, to face Penn State on ESPNU. It will be the first of two encounters with Penn State as the Nittany Lions will host Purdue on Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Bryce-Jordan Center. Purdue is coming off a season sweep of the Nittany Lions a year ago and lead the overall series, 29-11, with 13 wins in its last 15 contests against Penn State.
Purdue will head to the Windy City to take on Northwestern on Tuesday, Jan. 21, to tip off the season series between the two local rivals. Purdue, which will host the Wildcats in the regular-season finale on either March 8 or March 9, leads the series, 123-44, and has won 10 of the last 13 meetings between the two schools dating back to the 2006-07 season.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, Purdue hosts Wisconsin at Mackey Arena, while returning the trip to Madison on Wednesday, March 5. Purdue leads the all-time series with the Badgers, 105-65, including a 69-56 win in Madison a year ago over the 17th-ranked Badgers.
The Boilermakers will then begin their only extended roadswing in conference play, heading to Michigan on Thursday, Jan. 30 and Penn State on Feb. 2. The Michigan game will be aired on either ESPN or ESPN2 at 9 p.m. (ET), tipping off the season series against the Wolverines. Purdue leads the series with the Wolverines, 83-64, but was swept in two meetings a year ago to the NCAA finalists, including an 80-75 setback in early March. Michigan will return to Mackey Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Following the Penn State game on Feb. 2, Purdue will host Wisconsin on Feb. 5 and travel to Ohio State on Feb. 8, before hosting rival Indiana on either ESPN or ESPN2 at 4 p.m. (ET). The contest will be the 201st all-time meeting between the two schools, as Purdue leads the series, 112-88, the most victories against any one opponent in Purdue history.
The Indiana game begins a brief two-game homestand as Michigan State will come to Mackey Arena on Feb. 20, for the lone meeting between the two teams. Purdue leads the series with the Spartans, 65-50, but haven’t beaten them since a 67-47 victory late in the 2010-11 season. The contest with the Spartans will tip off at 7 p.m. (ET) on either ESPN or ESPN2.
After contests at Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 23, and Michigan at home on Wednesday, Feb. 26, Purdue will travel to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes on either March 1 or March 2, in the only meeting this year between the teams. The two squads split last year’s series, each winning at home as Purdue leads the all-time series, 86-72.
Purdue closes out the regular season at Wisconsin on Wednesday, March 5, and by hosting Northwester on either March 8 or 9.
The Big Ten Tournament will be played the following weekend at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on March 13-16.
Men's basketball season tickets are currently on sale through the Purdue Athletic Ticket Office. Single-game tickets will go on sale to John Purdue Club members on October 1 and to the general public on October 15. Student season tickets will go on sale on September 3.
The Purdue Athletic Ticket Office is located on the concourse level of the east side of Mackey Arena. Tickets may be purchased from the Athletic Ticket Office in person, online at purduesports.com or over the phone at (800) 49-SPORT.