Preseason AP Poll: How Many Ranked Teams Will Purdue Play in the 2026-27 Season?

Purdue may not have received enough votes to earn a spot in the Associated Press’s preseason poll to start the 2026-27 college basketball season, but it will have plenty of opportunities to prove itself. The Boilermakers will play nine games against eight opponents ranked in the initial top 25 this year.

The highest-ranked opponent that Purdue will play this season is Illinois, which opens the year ranked No. 3 nationally. The best non-conference squad the Boilermakers will face is Tennessee, starting out in the No. 8 spot.

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Here’s a complete rundown of the preseason ranked teams the Boilermakers will face during the 2026-27 season.

No. 15 Gonzaga Bulldogs (Nov. 2)

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue’s first matchup against a ranked opponent comes in its season opener on Nov. 2. The Boilermakers will play Gonzaga in the Hall of Fame Tipoff in Las Vegas, a tough start to the 2026-27 campaign for Matt Painter’s team. It will be a great test to see how Purdue stacks up against one of the top squads in the country immediately out of the gate.

No. 18 Iowa State Cyclones (Dec. 5)

Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan (23) scores. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the opener against Gonzaga, Purdue won’t play another team ranked in the preseason poll for another month. It’s the return game against a top-20 Iowa State team. Last year, the Cyclones walked into Mackey Arena and controlled the game from start to finish, defeating the Boilermakers 81-58. This game will be played at Hilton Coliseum, but the Cyclones will be without key guard Killyan Toure, who is out until January with an injury.

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No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (Dec. 11)

Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes during an open scrimmage. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Less than a week after traveling to Ames, Iowa, Purdue will return to Mackey Arena to host a top-10 Tennessee team. Painter’s teams have had some epic battles with Rick Barnes’…

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Publish date : 2026-10-25 20:25:00

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