Make sure you clear your calendars so you can catch all the incredible football action for all of the Purdue Boilermakers’ home games at Ross-Ade Stadium. This Big Ten Conference team has produced some of the best home games in recent years and, as the team prepares for the 2020 season, are gearing up to make a big splash in a bold new way. Your favorite returning players join fresh rookie talent beneath the guidance of current head coach Jeff Brohm in what will surely be the knock-out glued-to-your-seats on-field action that you expect. But why wait for highlights reels and analysts to tell you about the best plays when you can see them live by ordering tickets to the big game?
Whether you are a fan of NCAA football or love Purdue University, you won’t want to miss out on the competition to come. Sportswriters are keeping a close eye on the program because speculation holds that the team is ready to more than makeup for last year and impress fans with their drive to succeed and hunger to win! The team already has a history of success that they hope to repeat this season, Fans are already lining up to order tickets to see the Boilermakers play so you have to act now! The best seats in the house are still available!
What You Need to Know about Head Coach Jeff Brohm
Jeff Brohm may have been with
the Boilermakers for a few years now, but his lineage in football has
lasted for years. He got his professional sports start playing for
seven years as a quarterback with the San Diego Chargers (1994),
Washington Redskins (1995), San Francisco 49ers (1995 to 1997), Tampa
Bay Buccaneers (1998), Denver Broncos (1999), and the Cleveland
Browns (2000). He later played for the Orlando Rage of the XFL in
2001, where he earned a naming on the All-XFL team despite having to
sit out for part of the season due to a shoulder injury. Many
analysts considered Brohm to be a reliable quarterback, who could be
trusted to fire the ball downfield and execute plays with skill.
After his tenure in professional football, Brohm was hired to become the head coach of the Louisville Fire in 2002. Brohm likely used this as a reason to return to the University of Louisville in 2003, where he served six years as a quarterback coach, passing game coordinator, offensive coordinator, and assistant head coach for the Cardinals that led to a 2007 Orange Bowl win. Two years later, in 2009, Brohm moved to Florida Atlantic University where he became an offensive coordinator alongside Schnellenberger. Brohm then gained experience in coaching with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2010-2011, the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2012, and at Western Kentucky University in 2013 as an associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach. Brohm was then promoted to head coach after Petrino returned to Louisville where he led the team to three bowl games appearances (winning two of them). His success made him an easy choice to take on the head coach position at Purdue University, where he immediately led the program to a 7-6 record in his first season.
Part of this latest success can be pointed to Brohm’s hard work that included recruiting a stronger offensive and defensive line bringing in five graduate transfers to add strength to the roster. Purdue had a close game in their first appearance under Brohm against the Louisville at Lucas Oil Stadium, which was followed by a 44-21 crushing victory over Ohio the following game. With Brohm’s leadership, the Oilermakers saw their first sold-out game at Ross-Ade Stadium since 2008, with their home game against Michigan. Other feats for the season include Purdue’s first victory against rival Indiana since 2012.
All this history points to one undeniable fact, Brohm’s Boilermakers are the team to watch this coming season.
All About Ross-Ade Stadium
Boilermakers’ home stadium, Ross-Ade Stadium, was built in 1924 to replace Stuart Field which was first built in 1892. The stadium was named after Purdue alumni David E. Ross and George Ade, who were the principal benefactors during construction. In 1922, the pair bought 65 acres of land for the site of the new stadium and provided additional financial support for construction. Ross-Ade Stadium opened on November 22, 1924, with a seating capacity of 13,500 and standing room for another 5,000 people. Over time, and as the need for larger stadiums grew, the university saw expansions and renovations that increased capacity to their current number of 62,500 as of 2001. Before that latest renovation, the stadium had been famous with their largest crowd with 71,629 fans arriving to watch the Boilermakers face off against Indiana on Nov 22, 1980.
Technologically, the stadium has made several revisions to make visibility better as well as to allow for their famous night games, including the installation of permanent stadium lights in the summer of 2017. The stadium also honored memorial superfan Tyler Trent in March 2019, by placing a memorial at the STudent Section Gate entrance in his honor, after he died from osteosarcoma in January 2019.
Other renovations and modernizations include a limestone and brick tunnel created to memorialize 17 players, coaches, alumni, and fans who died. In June 2006, the Kentucky bluegrass used for the field was replaced by Bermuda grass to allow for better movement across the field. In July 2006, the university announced a ten-year partnership with Action Sports Media that allowed for the installation of a large $1.7 million Daktronics video board in time for the 2007 season. Finally, in June 2014, the south end bleachers were removed and space was converted to a patio area for a more party-like atmosphere that also included a large concession tent. The addition also marked the first time attendees could purchase alcohol.