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Purdue Volleyball falls to Northwestern Wildcats 3-2

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:07:45 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. — Sophomore Tiffany Fisher racked up a match-high 17 kills, while hitting .481 on the night, and redshirt sophomore Blair Bashen pulled up 33 digs, but Purdue wound up on the short end of another five set match Saturday night. Northwestern edged the Boilermaker volleyball team 25-18, 17-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-6 to drop Purdue to 9-8 overall and 1-5 in Big Ten play.

Fisher led the offense with 17 putaways, while senior Carrie Gurnell and freshman Ariel Turner added 13 apiece. Redshirt junior Lisa Pierce tacked on nine kills in the effort. Defensively, Bashen led the way with 33 saves, while freshman Carly Cramer and sophomore Emily Ehlers each added nine. Junior Jaclyn Hart pulled up eight and added three solo blocks to the team’s tally. Junior Kristen Arthurs paced Purdue at the net with four stuffs.

Northwestern started the fifth and deciding set with six straight points. A pair of Wildcat hitting errors put Purdue on the board. The Boilermakers used a pair of blocks, including a solo effort by Hart, to help close the gap to three at 8-5. From there, however, Northwestern rattled off seven of the next eight to take the match. Arthurs provided the lone Boilermaker kill in the final stretch of the 15-6 loss.

The Wildcats led Set 1 from start to finish, save ties at four and five. Trailing 3-0, Purdue clawed back to the first tie with help from three Fisher putaways. After the second knot up, Northwestern pushed its margin to five at 11-6 after a string of Boilermaker miscues. A kill by Turner and a block by Turner and freshman Anna Drewry cut the deficit to two at 11-9, but the Wildcats responded with eight of the next 10 points to go up 19-11. Purdue would get no closer than six the rest of the way, despite thwarting two NU set point chances after falling behind 24-16. A Boilermaker hitting error capped the 25-18 win for the Wildcats. Fisher had seven of Purdue’s 13 kills in the stanza.

Purdue bounced back in Set 2, however, taking an early 8-3 lead in the stanza, prompting a Northwestern timeout. The Boilermakers capitalized on a trio of Wildcat hitting errors and a pair of blocks by redshirt junior Lisa Pierce and Arthurs en route to a 14-6 advantage. Northwestern narrowed the gap to four at 18-14, but Purdue finished the set with seven of the next 10 points. Two kills each by Pierce and Gurnell brought the Boilermakers to set point at 24-17. Fisher pounded down the final point in the 25-17 win.
The teams split the first 12 points of the third set, before Northwestern went ahead 7-6. After losing the lead, Purdue rattled off seven straight points to go up 13-7. Gurnell tallied two kills and a block in the stretch, while Northwestern contributed three errors. The Wildcats used a 7-2 run to cut pull within one at 15-14, but Purdue used a block and a kill by Fisher and an ace by freshman Courtney Gosewisch to push the margin back to three at 18-15. Northwestern countered with four straight to take a 19-18 lead. The Boilermakers fought back with four of the next six points to regain the advantage at 22-21 on a block by Drewry and Pierce. The Wildcats snagged the set away with four of the next five points in the 25-23 win.

Northwestern led 9-6 in Set four, but Purdue scored six of the next eight to push into the lead at 12-11 on a Gurnell putdown. The teams tied at 12, 13, 14 and 15, before the Wildcats recaptured the advantage at 16-15 on a Boilermaker hitting error. Purdue responded with four straight points, including two kills each by Gurnell and Pierce, to go up 19-16. Northwestern made it 20-18, but the Boilermakers posted three of the next four points, including two Gurnell kills, to get their first shot at the set at 24-19. NU thwarted the first effort, but a Turner putaway extended the match with a 25-20 Purdue win. Gurnell posted seven kills in the stanza, while Pierce and Turner each added five.

The Boilermakers return to action at 7 p.m. Friday when they take on the Wisconsin Badgers in West Lafayette.

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Purdue Volleyball falls to Northwestern Wildcats 3-2

No. 9 Purdue Women’s Soccer lose at home to Minnesota

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:00:15 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -– The ninth-ranked Purdue women’s soccer team lost 1-0 to Minnesota on Sunday afternoon at the Varsity Soccer Complex in West Lafayette.

“We got beat by a better team today,” head coach Robert Klatte said. “They were more determined than we were. As a staff, as a program and as a team, I think that’s the disappointing part. There was a team here that certainly came out with a greater intensity than we had, and with greater focus and determination, and I think that’s what separated the sides today. They have a great team. They are a good, technical team. They’re dynamic going forward, but we failed to solve their defensive pressure.”

Minnesota (10-2-2, 3-0-1) struck in the 23rd minute with the game’s only goal. Tamara Strahota headed the ball to Molly Rouse, who was alone on the left side of the goal. Rouse squared up and fired a shot into the back of the net from seven yards out to give the Golden Gophers the winning tally.

Purdue (7-3-3, 2-1-2) had a chance to knot the game with one minute remaining in the first half. Sophomore Alexis Tryba knocked a corner kick from the right side to freshman Marta Lynch. Lynch spun past her defender and let a shot rip toward the net. The ball, which was on a line to the goal, was headed away by a Minnesota defender. The Boilermakers trailed at halftime for just the second time this season.

Purdue was able to get a few chances late in the second half, but could not find that elusive tying goal. Minnesota was able to control possession for most of the game and keep the Boilermakers bottled up when they did get the ball, halting many offensive attacks. Senior co-captain Jenny Bradfisch made five saves in goal for the Boilermakers.

Purdue lost at home for the first time this season, halting the longest home unbeaten streak to start a season in program history. The Boilermakers entered Sunday 4-0-2 at the Varsity Soccer Complex and had tied the 2002 and 2004 teams for the best home start by a Purdue team. The Boilermakers, who entered the day second in the Big Ten with 25 goals scored this season, were shut out for the first time in 2009.
Minnesota leaped over Purdue for first place in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers, who entered the day atop the conference standings with eight points, are now in fourth behind the Golden Gophers’ 10 points and the nine points owned by Ohio State and Penn State, who both won Sunday.

Purdue now leads the all-time series with Minnesota 7-6. The last three games in the series, all Golden Gopher wins, have been decided by the same 1-0 score. This marks just the third time in program history, after a five-game stretch in the series with Indiana and a four-game stretch in the series with Wisconsin, Purdue has had three consecutive games with one opponent end 1-0.

“We adapted late in the game,” Klatte said. “We started to create a little bit more and cause them a few more problems, but it wasn’t enough. We still failed to get in behind them with any clear-cut opportunities. I think our best opportunity fell to Marta in the first half when they got the headed clearance off the line. But, we didn’t have that consistent determination about getting it done today.”

Purdue returns to action Thursday when it hosts Michigan. Kickoff from the Varsity Soccer Complex is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. Live results and a live radio broadcast can be found at PurdueSports.com.

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No. 9 Purdue Women’s Soccer lose at home to Minnesota

Purdue Men’s Swimming wins Indiana Intercollegiates title

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:50:21 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -– The Purdue men’s swimming and diving team won the season-opening Indiana Intercollegiates after scoring 928 points Saturday afternoon inside the Boilermaker Aquatic Center.

“I always like this meet because it’s the first time you get to see your young guys swim and see how they handle everything,” head coach Dan Ross said. “This was even one week earlier than last year, which was one week earlier than we normally do it, so I was mildly surprised we had as many better times than we had last year. It gives us some things to build on for the next three weeks.”

Purdue started the meet with victories in the first four swimming events. The 200 medley relay team of Chris Pfaff, Aaron Koger, Sam Wilcher and Chuck Destro started the festivities with a 1:32.68 victory. Junior Drew Wolfred then won the 200 freestyle after touching the wall in 1:42.61. Sophomore Ben Wachtel, the school’s freshman record holder in the 200 freestyle, outswam the 50 freestyle field with his 20.96 clocking. The winning continued in the 200 IM as sophomore Albert Miller took that race in 1:55.10.

Purdue also swept both diving events. Junior J.P. Perez won the 3-meter with his score of 341.70, and junior All-American David Colturi outscored the 1-meter field after recording a 345.20 score. Perez was second off the 1-meter with 317.65 points, and freshman Jimmy Page finished third with his 287.85 score.

Wachtel got Purdue back on the winning track in the pool when he outraced the 100 freestyle field and finished in 45.97. Destro, a freshman from Pittsburgh, continued the trend in the very next race as he stopped the clock in 51.12 to take the 100 backstroke victory and lead a Purdue sweep of the top-six places.
Freshman Vinny Donnelly took the 500 freestyle title as he touched the wall in 4:38.12 to lead a top-five sweep by the Boilermakers, and Koger claimed the top spot in the 100 breaststroke with his 55.90 time. The Boilermakers’ 200 freestyle quartet of Kyle House, Brendan Joyce, Gage Barry and Wachtel ended the meet with a 1:24.71 win.

In addition to his victory, Destro also finished second in the 50 freestyle with his 21.36 time. Wilcher also swam to a runner-up finish in the 500 freestyle after touching the wall in 4:39.89. House and Miller also added second-place finishes in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke, respectively, to their wins. Freshman Corey Bandura earned a second-place finish in the 100 freestyle with his 47.16 time and finished third in the 50 freestyle after stopping the clock in 21.55.

Sophomore Tyler Gertz finished third in the 100 backstroke and was followed in fourth by junior Mark Boman, in fifth by freshman Sam Niesen and in sixth by sophomore Zach Johnson. Junior Scott Dean swam to a third-place finish in the 200 IM and was followed by Wilcher in fourth and freshman Aaron Buchanan in fifth.

Sophomore Jimmy Brooks touched the wall in 50.75 to finish third in the 100 butterfly. He was immediately followed by junior Chris Pfaff in 51.29 and freshman Alec LaMothe in 52.66. Barry was third in the 100 freestyle with his 47.49 clocking, and Wolfred and Joyce finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Seniors Travis Smith and Andre Koop finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 500 freestyle and were followed by freshman Raymond Mahon in fifth.

Dean also finished third in the 100 breaststroke when he recorded a 58.79 clocking. He was followed by sophomore Wyatt Hodges in fourth in 59.62. Joyce clocked a fourth-place time of 21.68 in the 50 freestyle, and freshman Noah Pashley was right behind in fifth with his 21.69 time. LaMothe and Barry finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 200 freestyle.

Purdue won the Indiana Intercollegiates title for the ninth consecutive season. Evansville finished second with 309 points and was followed by Indianapolis’ 256 total in third. IUPUI scored 159 to finish fourth, and Valparaiso was fifth with 102 points.

Purdue returns to the pool Oct. 30 when it hosts Miami University at 5 p.m. ET.

Purdue Men’s Basketball 2009-10 Big Ten conference schedule

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:41:23 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The 2009-10 Purdue Boilermaker men’s basketball conference schedule was announced on earlier today (Wednesday). The Boilers are slated to appear live on the Big Ten Network 11 times in the regular season and on the various ESPN channels no less than 12 times.

Purdue University head coach Matt Painter (R) talks to Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore during the second half of their Big Ten mens basketball tournament game versus the University of Illinois in Indianapolis March 14, 2008. REUTERS/Brent Smith (UNITED STATES)

“The Big Ten is going to be as good as it’s been in a number of years,” head coach Matt Painter said. “We have a lot of teams returning experienced players. There will be no easy games on the schedule once we get into league play. I think we have a number of teams who feel like they can make a run at winning the league and advancing in the NCAA Tournament.”

The conference slate is comprised again this year of 18 regular-season games. Purdue plays Northwestern and Michigan once, but will face the other eight conference schools twice.

The Boilermakers open up conference play on the road by traveling to Iowa City, Iowa, on Dec. 29 to take on the Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network. Purdue returns home for its final non-conference regular-season game against West Virginia at 2:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day on ESPN.

“We’re excited about our schedule for the 2009-10 season,” Painter said. “We feel like we’ve got some great games in the non-conference portion of the schedule that will help prepare our guys for the rigors of the Big Ten season. We also feel like we have some great games on the home-slate for our fans, which is always important.”

Four days later the Boilermakers take on Minnesota, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. in Mackey Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2. There are four more home games in January: Ohio State (Jan. 12 – 7 p.m. ESPN), Michigan (Jan. 23 – 4 p.m. ESPN), Wisconsin (Jan. 28 – 9 p.m. ESPN2) and Penn State (Jan. 31 – 3 p.m. Big Ten Network). Purdue’s road contests are Wisconsin (Jan. 9 – 5:30 p.m. Big Ten Network), Northwestern (Jan. 16 – 5:30 p.m. Big Ten Network) and Illinois (Jan. 19 9 p.m. ESPN).

Purdue will face Indiana twice this season. The first contest is on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in Bloomington and will broadcast on ESPN2. The teams meet in West Lafayette either March 2, 3 or 4. Game time and television coverage will be announced when the date is finalized.

After starting the month of February at Indiana, the Boilermakers will play at Michigan on Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. on ESPN, in East Lansing, Mich. Purdue then plays host to Iowa on Feb. 13 at 4:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and is on BTN the following game at Ohio State on Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

The Illinois matchup in Mackey Arena will be played either Feb. 20 or 21, followed by a game at Minnesota on Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. Purdue’s final three regular season game dates will be finalized at a later time. Michigan State at home will be either Feb. 27 or 28, Indiana on March 2, 3 or 4 and at Penn State on March 6 or 7.

The 13th annual Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will be played Thursday, March 11 through Sunday, March 14 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. All 10 games will air nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, the Big Ten Network and CBS Sports. ESPN2 will carry the first two games on Thursday and the Big Ten Network will air the final game of the evening. On Friday, ESPN will broadcast the first two quarterfinal games while the Big Ten Network will air the remaining two contests. CBS Sports will televise the semifinal and championship games on Saturday and Sunday.

Purdue season tickets are on sale and are available online at purduesports.com, by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 800-49-SPORT or in person at the ticket office in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility.

The deadline for priority seating is Aug. 28.

Boilermaker Women’s Basketball 2009-10 non-conference schedule announced

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:13:33 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The 2009-10 Purdue women’s basketball non-conference schedule features seven homes games, including four contests in Mackey Arena to start the season.

“We’re gearing up for another exciting year,” Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp said. “We know that Mackey Arena is one of the toughest basketball venues in the country thanks to our fans, so we’re thrilled to be playing a total of seven home non-conference games plus an exhibition contest in West Lafayette. Of course, we can’t play all our games at home and we will cover the West Coast and the East Coast with two games in California followed by the Big Ten/ACC Challenge game at Virginia. We feel like we have put together a non-conference schedule that will be good for our team and for our fans.”

FahKara Malone is one of three seniors on the 2009-2010 squad.

The first opportunity to see seniors FahKara Malone, Jodi Howell and Laura Garriga in action this season is in Purdue’s sole exhibition game Nov. 8 against Lindsey Wilson College, an NAIA school from Columbia, Ky.

The Boilermakers open the regular season Nov. 15 in Mackey Arena when they take on Western Illinois.

Coach Versyp and her team will compete three consecutive days when they play host to the BTI Classic, a round-robin event Nov. 20 to 22. Purdue will face Seattle at 5:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 20, followed by Dayton vs. Georgetown at approximately 8 p.m. The Boilermakers play the Flyers at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 while Seattle and Georgetown face off at 8 p.m. and in the final day of competition, Purdue goes up against Georgetown and Seattle plays Dayton. Game times for Sunday are yet to be determined.

“The opportunity to host a three-day tournament is outstanding,” Versyp said. “It is a great way to prepare our team for the rigors of the postseason and to be able to play those games at home is an added benefit.”

After the four-game home stand, the women will play four non-conference road games. The Boilermakers first head to California over the Thanksgiving break to play at UC-Riverside on Nov. 27, followed by Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., on Nov. 29. An interesting note, current Purdue president France A. Córdova was chancellor of UC-Riverside from 2002 to 2007 before moving to West Lafayette.

Next up is the Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest at Virginia on Dec. 3. The Boilermakers are looking to pick up their first victory in the Challenge since it was resumed in 2007.

The final non-conference road game of the regular season is Dec. 13 at Oakland in Rochester, Mich.

The Boilermakers return to the friendly confines of Mackey Arena on Dec. 19 when they play host to Evansville and will play a final game before the holiday with a Dec. 21 matchup at home against Gardner-Webb. The Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb are a member of the Big South Conference and are located in Boiling Springs, N.C.

Purdue’s final non-conference game of the regular-season is against instate rival Notre Dame on Jan. 4 in West Lafayette, Ind.

In addition to the non-conference contests, the Boilermakers will play 18 Big Ten regular-season games and the full schedule is expected to be released in late August. The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament returns to Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March 4 to 7, 2010.

Season tickets go on sale beginning at 9 a.m. Aug. 3. Complete game times and the television schedule will be announced at a later date and all dates, times and opponents are subject to change.

Boudia, Finchum win silver medal at FINA World Championships

admin — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:14:22 +0000

ROME — Purdue sophomore diver and Noblesville, Indiana native David Boudia won a silver medal Saturday in the synchronized platform competition at the FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy.

FINA World Championships Men's 10m Synchronized Platform Results -- China's Huo and Lin, gold. Americans Boudia and Finchum, silver. Cubans Guerra Oliva and Aguirre Manso, bronze.

Boudia teamed with Beijing Olympic teammate Thomas Finchum to put 456.84 points on the board during the five-dive list. The duo was tied for sixth after the second set of dives but vaulted to second with 89.76 points, the highest score of the round, in the third. Boudia and Finchum wrapped up the silver with a 98.04-point dive in the final round. The divers earned their second World Championships medal after placing third in the event at the 2007 World Championships before finishing fifth in the Olympics last summer.

“Thomas and I are very excited to win the silver medal,” Boudia said. “We’ve been working hard since Beijing. We’re excited to put the US back on track, and I know this is not the end.”

Liang Huo and Yue Lin from China, who won gold at the Beijing Olympics and the 2007 World Championships, took the top spot by scoring 482.58 points. After Boudia and Finchum, Cuba’s Jose Antonio Guerra Oliva and Jeinkler Ernesto Aguirre Manso rounded out the medal podium with a third-place, 456.60-point finish.

Boudia, whose sixth-place finish Tuesday in the individual platform was the highest by an American in the event since 1998, contributed to the best World Championships by the United States since 1991. The Americans return to the states with four medals, all silver, which is the highest medal count for the red, white and blue since the 1991 championships in Perth, Australia.

Boudia and Finchum advance to synchronized platform final at FINA World Championships

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:43:49 +0000

David Boudia (shown here with teammate Thomas Finchum) is in his second final at this year's FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy.

ROME — Purdue diver David Boudia qualified for the final in the synchronized platform competition Friday at the FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy.

Boudia, who finished sixth in the 10m platform Tuesday, joined with Thomas Finchum to put together the fourth-highest score in Friday’s preliminary round. Boudia and Finchum, who dove together at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and earned a bronze medal at the FINA Diving World Series in April, scored 426.54 points to finish less than a point behind third.

Boudia and Finchum go after a medal in Saturday’s final, which begins at 7:00a Eastern.

Boilermaker volleyball tickets on sale for 2009 season

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:25:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tickets are on sale now for all 15 of the Purdue University volleyball team’s home matches.

Adult season tickets are $70 for general admission seating and $84 for premium (chair back) seating. Student season tickets are $35 for general admission and $49 for premium seating. Single game tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, or $9 and $6 for premium seating (if available). The priority order deadline is Friday, August 7, 2009.

Tickets to see the 2009 Boilermakers play their 15 home games are on sale now.

A family four pack of tickets, including two adults and two youth general admission tickets, can be purchased on the day of game only for $20.

Groups of 15 or more are just $5 per ticket.

Tickets can be purchase by calling 1-800-49-SPORT or by stopping by the Athletic Ticket Office in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility.

The Boilermakers open the 2009 season with their own Mortar Board Premier tournament, which features matches with Ball State, Coastal Carolina and Dayton.

The Purdue Active Ankle Classic on Sept. 18 and 19 pits the Boilermakers against Ohio and Louisville. Both matches are designated as team nights, during which pre-registered youth teams can purchase $2 tickets. Email sportspromo@purdue.edu for details.

Tickets for volleyball matches falling on football game days, Sept. 19 and Oct. 17, are just $2 with a football ticket stub.

The Boilermakers will welcome home alumnae on Sept. 27. The 1 p.m. match with Michigan also has been deemed Girl Scout Day.

The Sept. 30 match with Indiana will be the season’s Boiler Blackout match, while fans can enjoy fireworks at the Slayter Center on Oct. 2 after the match as part of Homecoming festivities.

Oct. 17 features the Dig Pink for breast cancer research event. Wear pink to support breast cancer research.

The Boilermakers will host a free Youth Skills Clinic on Nov. 21 for children 13 and under. Email boilerkids@purdue.edu by Nov. 1 to register for the clinic, which includes a T-shirt and a redeemable ticket voucher for the night’s match with Ohio State. The match, which will mark Purdue’s final home game of the season, also will be a celebration for the team’s two seniors.

Boudia places sixth at FINA World Championships

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:53:50 +0000

ROME — Purdue University diver David Boudia earned the highest finish by an American in more than a decade when he finished sixth in the platform competition Tuesday at the FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy.

Boudia will join his Beijing Olympic teammate Thomas Finchum for the synchronized platform preliminary round on Friday morning.

“I felt comfortable up there, and I started off well,” Boudia said. “I had a mishap on my gainer and gave up some points there, but it happens. There’s room for improvement.”

Boudia scored 491.80 points in the final to earn the best US finish at the World Championships since Mark Ruiz also finished sixth in 1998. Boudia bolstered his score by earning three 10s throughout the competition. The Big Ten and NCAA champion off the platform was given two perfect scores on his second dive, an inward three-and-a-half, and one on his fifth dive, a back three-and-a-half. Boudia qualified for the final with a sixth-place, 485.25-point list in the semifinal earlier Tuesday.

“I’m proud of David for battling back,” Purdue head diving coach Adam Soldati said. “He missed his fourth-round dive a little bit (in the final), but he really showed a tremendous amount of mental toughness and battled back like a champion. He has a few days now before synchro, and I’m looking forward to seeing him and Thomas compete.”

Boudia now turns his attention to the synchronized platform competition. The Noblesville, Ind., native joins Beijing Olympic teammate Thomas Finchum for the preliminary round Friday at 7 a.m. ET.

Boilermaker VIP All Sports cards sold out for 2009-10 season

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:40:33 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Every single one of the 5,000 VIP All Sports cards that were allocated to Purdue students for the 2009-10 school year have been sold.

Selling out the VIP All Sports cards could be interpreted as a vote of confidence by the students in the new head coach, and an auspicious beginning to a new era in Boilermaker football.

Purdue students may still purchase a football season ticket for $119. The season ticket includes general admission seating in the student section at all seven home football games, which includes Notre Dame and Ohio State. This price represents a savings of nearly 50 percent compared with purchasing student single-game tickets.

“We appreciate the support of our students in purchasing all the VIP All Sports cards that they could,” first-year head coach Danny Hope said. “We hope their classmates who did not purchase them will buy season tickets and help add to the great student support section at Ross-Ade Stadium. The energy and enthusiasm of our students means a lot to our football team.”

Hope and the Boilermakers open the 2009 season Sept. 5 against Toledo at Ross-Ade.