When Purdue announced its exhibition schedule for the 2026-27 season, some may have scratched their heads. Why would Matt Painter take his team on the road to play Purdue-Fort Wayne when it has a chance to potentially sell out Mackey Arena? The longtime leader of the Boilers likes taking his team on the road early, and Fort Wayne coach Jon Coffman was appreciative of it.
Purdue defeated Fort Wayne 92-62 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Thursday. After the game, Coffman gave Painter plenty of credit for taking his team on the road.
"That was awesome that he brought his team [here]," Coffman said following the game. "Honestly, every Power Four [team] ought to do what Matt did. I don't know why they're not doing it. It's great for college basketball. Go do this; it's awesome. Butler needs to be doing it, Indiana needs to be doing it, Notre Dame did it two years ago. It needs to happen."
There are several reasons why Painter scheduled Purdue's trip to Fort Wayne. Not only does it help a mid-major program draw a large crowd, but it is also beneficial to Boilermaker fans who can't make the long drive to West Lafayette.
"There are fans who can't get to Mackey Arena a lot, there just isn't," Painter said. "This has always been a hotbed for us, especially recruiting. When guys are good enough in this area, we go after them. They've had a lot of success at our place."
More than 10,000 fans poured into War Memorial Coliseum to see the Boilers and Mastodons in action. Although it may not have been a traditional road game for Purdue, it served multiple purposes.
Painter likes road exhibition games
Traveling during the preseason isn't new for Painter. Though the trip to Fort Wayne was a rarity for a mid-major program, Purdue has benefited greatly from playing exhibition contests away from Mackey Arena.
In the past, the Boilers have traveled to Arkansas, Creighton and Kentucky to prepare for upcoming seasons. Thursday was the first of two road exhibition contests for this year's team.
"Playing these games away from home has helped us, getting into a different environment," Painter said. "This isn't going to be like a road game, per se, for us, but you're going to a place where they play their games and they're familiar."
Purdue's biggest test of the exhibition season comes on Tuesday, when it travels to play UConn in Hartford. That will provide Painter and the staff with a better understanding of how this year's team currently looks against high-quality programs in college basketball.
Then, the Boilers hit a plane for a trip to Las Vegas to open the regular season against No. 15 Gonzaga. Purdue finally returns to Mackey Arena to play its first home game of the season on Friday, Nov. 6, when it hosts Valparaiso.
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