Purdue basketball couldn’t get enough of one opponent from the 2023-24 season, so they’ve formally confirmed a future home-and-home series with a program that also made the Final Four this year.
The Boilermakers announced Tuesday afternoon that Matt Painter’s team will play a home-and-home series against Nate Oats’ Alabama program from the SEC. This season, the two teams faced off in Toronto, but the new series will take place inside Mackey Arena and on the road in Tuscaloosa.
The first game will take place in West Lafayette on November 15, 2024. The return voyage to Alabama will take place during the 2025-26 season, but the date has yet to be confirmed.
This season, Purdue defeated Alabama 92-86 in Toronto, with Zach Edey scoring 35 points and Braden Smith scoring 27. Mark Sears led the Crimson Tide with 35 points and eight 3-pointers in the loss.
Both programs advanced to the Final Four, but neither had an answer for eventual national winner UConn. The Huskies defeated Alabama in the national semifinals before defeating Purdue for the championship after the Boilermakers eliminated NC State in the Final Four.
Painter’s nonconference schedule includes excellent competition, which is nothing new for him. This past season, the Boilermakers competed against a strong nonconference group that includes Xavier, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Marquette, and Arizona. The previous year, Purdue’s nonconference schedule included games against Marquette, West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, and Florida State.