Purdue Boilermakers Football Tickets

Purdue football in brief: the Cradle of Quarterbacks

The Purdue Boilermakers play home football games at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, a 61,441-seat open-air stadium on the northern edge of the Purdue campus. Home games fall on fall Saturdays, plus the occasional Thursday or Friday night, from late August or early September through late November. Purdue has been a Big Ten member since 1896, one of the conference's original programs.

The program dates to 1887 and has won eight Big Ten titles (1918, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1943, 1952, 1967 and 2000). It has played in two Rose Bowls: Jack Mollenkopf's team beat USC 14–13 in the game played January 1, 1967, and Joe Tiller's 2000 Big Ten champions lost to Washington in the January 2001 game. Tiller's pass-first teams made ten bowl trips in twelve seasons and revived the program in the late 1990s.

Purdue is known as the Cradle of Quarterbacks. Len Dawson, Bob Griese and Drew Brees all played there, and when Brees won Super Bowl XLIV, Purdue became only the second college to produce three Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. Its other identity is the Spoilermakers: Purdue has a long record of upsetting top-ranked teams, including No. 1 Notre Dame in 1950, 1954, 1965 and 1967, No. 1 Michigan in 1976, and No. 2 Ohio State 49–20 at Ross-Ade under the lights in 2018.

Where to sit at Ross-Ade Stadium

Ross-Ade is a bowl with sideline grandstands on the east and west and seating that wraps the north end. The west side is anchored by the Pavilion, a four-story building added in the 2001–2003 renovation with suites, an indoor club and outdoor club seats. An upper deck planned for the east side was never built. The large video board, installed in 2020 and among the biggest in college football, is in the south end zone, and a ribbon board runs above the north end-zone seats.

Sideline vs. end zone

Sideline seats between the 30-yard lines give the best view, and mid-level rows beat the first few rows, where benches and sideline traffic block the near side of the field. North end-zone seats cost less and face the main video board; the corners are a good compromise between price and angle.

The south end zone and students

A south end-zone stand opened for the 2023 season as part of a donor-funded renovation. It moved the student section to the south end zone and the area east of it, put the marching band in front of the south end zone, and added standing areas, patios and rail seating. Expect students on their feet all game in and around that corner.

Sun and weather

The field runs north to south, so on an afternoon kickoff the west sideline has the sun at its back and the east sideline faces it late in the game. The Pavilion also shades some west-side seats later in the day. Indiana weather swings from hot in early September to cold and windy in November, and permanent lights installed in 2017 have made night games more common.

The Old Oaken Bucket and Purdue's biggest home games

• Indiana: the in-state rivals play for the Old Oaken Bucket, and Purdue led the series 77–43–6 through the 2024 season. Ross-Ade's first game, on November 22, 1924, was a win over Indiana, and its record crowd of 71,629 came for Indiana in 1980.
• Illinois: the Purdue Cannon goes to the winner of one of the closest series in the Big Ten, which Purdue led 48–46–6 through 2024.
• Notre Dame: the Shillelagh Trophy series, which Notre Dame leads, draws some of the largest crowds when it is on the schedule.
• Big Ten heavyweights: visits from Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Oregon fill the stadium with both fan bases.

Purdue's history of upsets means a ranked visitor at night is the game locals talk about for years. Early non-conference games against smaller programs are the easiest and least expensive way into Ross-Ade, and the resale market is deepest for them.

The Big Drum, the Boilermaker Special and gameday

• The Purdue All-American Marching Band: home of the World's Largest Drum and the Golden Girl, the band's featured baton twirler.
• The Boilermaker Special: the official mascot, a Victorian-era locomotive replica built on a truck chassis.
• Purdue Pete: the costumed mascot, created in 1940.
• The Tyler Trent Student Gate: named for the student superfan who died of bone cancer in 2019 at age 20.
• The Tiller Tunnel: the team entrance in the northeast corner, named for former coach Joe Tiller and opened in 2023.

Fan fest and tailgating

As of the 2026 season, a free fan fest opens three hours before every home kickoff in the Sally and Bob Weist Plaza between Mackey Arena and Holloway Gymnasium, with live music, games, giveaways and the pregame radio show. Parking passes are digital and must be downloaded before you arrive at your lot, and the best lots near the stadium are sold to John Purdue Club members by priority. Check Purdue's football parking page for current lots and traffic patterns.

How Purdue football tickets work

Purdue sells season tickets first, and better seats and parking are allocated by John Purdue Club priority points, which season-ticket holders who are club members earn for renewing on time. Season-ticket holders also get priority for bowl tickets after club members and before the general public. Students buy an all-sports Boarding Pass that automatically assigns a seat for every home football game, and the 2026–27 Boarding Pass sold out. Tickets are digital.

Because Ross-Ade seats about 61,000, single-game tickets are often available for non-conference and mid-tier Big Ten games. Demand spikes for the Old Oaken Bucket game, Notre Dame, and visits from Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State or Oregon, when inventory tightens and the resale market becomes the reliable way in. Every GoodSeats order includes free shipping.

Ross-Ade Stadium bag policy and entry

As of the 2026 season, Purdue enforces a clear-bag policy. Fans may bring one clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, a one-gallon clear zip-top bag, or a small clutch no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Medical and diaper bags are allowed after inspection. Backpacks, purses, drawstring bags, fanny packs and camera bags are not. Check Purdue's clear-bag policy page before you go.

• Gates: open 90 minutes before kickoff, and there is no re-entry once you leave.
• Water: one sealed, disposable water bottle of 20 ounces or less is allowed.
• Alcohol: sold inside the stadium with a wristband and valid ID, with a two-drink limit per purchase; sales end at the end of the third quarter.
• Cash: there are no ATMs at Ross-Ade.
• Accessibility: Gates A, GG and EE are the general-public ADA entrances.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Purdue Boilermakers football
• Wikipedia – Ross–Ade Stadium
• Purdue Athletics – Ross-Ade Stadium
• Purdue Athletics – Football Gameday Policies
• Purdue Athletics – Clear Bag Policy
• Purdue Athletics – Football Ticket Information
• Purdue Athletics – Student Ticket Information
• Purdue Athletics – Football Parking