Purdue To Face Northern Illinois in Mackey Re-Dedication

The Boiling Point: The men’s basketball team will face Northern Illinois on 11-11-11 in the first game of season.

An opponent has finally been found for Mackey Arena’s re-dedication game. Northern Illinois will come into West Lafayette to take on the Boilers for the much-anticipated game on November, 11, 2011. This culminates an extensive search for an opponent for this game.

Almost every school from every BCS conference was contacted for this game, but all turned it down. Not many teams want to go on the road, especially to a place like Mackey Arena that early in the season. Purdue has played Northern Illinois only one time, a 112-85 win on December 7, 1971.

That will be a huge weekend for Purdue sports. Purdue volleyball will play Iowa on Thursday of that week, men’s basketball vs. Northern Illinois on Friday, football vs. O$U on Saturday and the women’s basketball team will take on IUPUI on Sunday in the second re-dedication game.