According to Brett McMurphy of ESPN, Louisville will open the 2017 football season against Purdue in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
According to Brett McMurphy with ESPN, Louisville football will open the 2017 football season against Purdue in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Lucas Oil Stadium latest to host season opening neutral site game (UL vs. Purdue in 2017) http://t.co/bgQLpYEANb
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) May 6, 2015
Louisville and Purdue have met just once in football. In 1987, Louisville played at Purdue. The game ended in a 22-22 tie. As of now, this is the second of four non-conference games set for 2017 (Kentucky to end the season is permanently scheduled).
Is Purdue a big name opponent that will draw tons of eyeballs? No. Not right now, anyway. But this game is still beneficial for Louisville. It continues Louisville's pattern of playing two Power 5 conference opponents every season. In 2014 they played Kentucky and Notre Dame, in 2015 they face Auburn and Kentucky, and now 2017 they'll have Purdue and Kentucky. In 2019 they open the season with Notre Dame in Louisville and end with Kentucky and the travel to Notre Dame in 2020. It is also another neutral site game in the odd number year schedules which lack FSU and Kentucky. And between tickets and television, these neutral site week one games are almost equivalent to a week one bowl game, financially.
While many still bemoan the loss of the season opening game being Kentucky, you can't complain too much about about a series of season openers that includes Miami, Auburn in Atlanta, Purdue in Indianapolis, and Notre Dame over the next five years.
Best of all, fans will get to dust off the "Go Cards, Beat Purdue" chant. This time for football.
