Mackey Arena’s reputation doesn’t stop at the Big Ten line.
That much was clear at Big East Media Days, where Purdue’s home court came up again and again when current Big East players were asked about the toughest places to play in college basketball. Ryan Hammer shared a video from the event, and Mackey Arena drew four separate mentions.
Among those naming it were current Xavier coach Richard Pitino, who spent 2013-21 at Minnesota, along with former Ohio State standout Devin Royal, now at Villanova. Marquette’s Adrien Stevens and Nigel James Jr. also pointed to Purdue’s building.
It’s the kind of recognition Mackey usually gets inside the Big Ten, where the arena’s noise and energy are a regular talking point. Hearing it from players and coaches outside the league only adds to the picture of what it’s like in West Lafayette on game night.
The only major non-Big Ten program scheduled to see that environment this season is Tennessee, which visits on Friday, Dec. 11 for a Big Ten-SEC matchup in non-conference play.
There’s a chance the Volunteers won’t be the last outsiders talking about Mackey, either. If Purdue’s home crowd keeps showing up the way it has, the arena’s sellout streak could keep stretching.
Purdue has sold out its last 105 home games, a run that began on Jan. 15, 2019.
And the 2026-27 season is already moving fast at the box office. Sixteen of 18 games are already sold out, including the exhibition against Ball State.
As of the publishing of the story, the only tickets still available were for Purdue’s Dec. 21 game against Cal Baptist and the Dec. 30 Big Ten matchup with USC. Both dates fall during winter break for students, which opens up a few more seats.
If those two games sell out in the coming days, Purdue would push its streak to 122 games, not counting exhibitions.
The Boilermakers open the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2, against Gonzaga in Las Vegas, then return home for their first game in West Lafayette on Friday, Nov. 6, against Valparaiso.
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