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Purdue's first major test of the 2016-17 season will come very, very early. it was announced this afternoon that defending National Champion Villanova will come to Mackey Arena on Monday, November 14, 2016. The exact tipoff time has not been announced, as it will be televised either on BTN or (more likely) ESPN.
The game with Villanova is NOT the season opener, as that has been reported as Friday, November 11 in Mackey Arena against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Here is the schedule as we know it so far:
November 11: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
November 14: Villanova (Gavitt Tipoff Games)
November 22: Cancun Challenge vs. Auburn, Utah State, or Texas Tech
November 23: Cancun Challenge vs. Auburn, Utah State, or Texas Tech
December 6: vs. Arizona State at Madison Square Garden (Jimmy V. Classic)
December 17: vs. Notre Dame at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Crossroads Classic)
December 19: Western Illinois
December 21: Norfolk State
This leaves five games yet to be announced, including a very likely road date in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge that will probably come between the Cancun games and the Arizona State game. A remaining 1-2 games will be home games in the Cancun Challenge against teams that will be in the other Division invited to Cancun. I say 1-2 games because it is entirely possible the SIU-Edwardsville game will be considered as one of them. As I previously mentioned, I would not be surprised to see a game at IUPUI in Indianapolis in the renovated Indiana Farmer's Coliseum announced.