Purdue Makes Bade Move Official

The Boiling Point: Purdue’s Patrick Bade’s move to football became official on Wednesday.

Word leaked on Tuesday about the impending move of Purdue basketball player Patrick Bade to football and Purdue confirmed it on Wednesday.

"“We wish Patrick nothing but the best as he pursues a college football career at Purdue,” Purdue men’s basketball coach Matt Painter said. “He is a valued member of the Purdue Athletics family, and we’re happy that he has chosen to remain at the University.”"

Bade played in 58 games for the Boilermakers over the last two seasons, starting four times. The Indianapolis native averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, with career highs of 10 points and nine boards.

"“I want to thank the Purdue basketball staff for the opportunity to be a member of such a successful program for the last two years,” Bade said. “This is the start of a new chapter for me, and I look forward to taking on the challenges that come with playing college football. I’m excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.”"

Now, Bade, who was a highly-recruited football player in high school, with join Danny Hope’s football team as a tight end.

"“We’ve met with Patrick and I know he’s excited about joining our football team,” Hope said. “He didn’t play football his senior year of high school, but I’ve seen his junior film and he looks like a pretty good prospect for us. He’s a big-body guy who plays a position where we have a quite a bit of youth and not a lot experience, so he’ll be able to compete right away. We’re happy to have him aboard.”"

The move for the basketball team eases a scholarship crunch. It also gives Painter the opportunity to still add another 2012 recruit because he can oversign the class by one person.