WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Note: The video accompanying this story is from a previous report on Purdue addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purdue football fans were out in full force Saturday night for their return to Ross-Ade Stadium for the Boilermakers' season opening game against Oregon State. The university allowed fans to tailgate and pack the stands to full capacity for the first time since the pandemic restrictions started.
The announced attendance of 53,656 for Saturday night's game was well below the stadium's capacity but still provided a stark difference from the empty stands during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
It’s been more than 600 days since Purdue football fans have packed the stands, but fans said it was worth it. After being unable to even tailgate last season because of COVID-19, Purdue football fans were not going to let a rainy day ruin their game day spirit.
"Feels great for me, because I didn’t get to experience this freshman year," said Purdue sophomore Adam Daniels. "So it’s awesome to get back out here sophomore year and have the whole tailgating experience and have a good time.”
For many fans, tailgating before the game has become a family tradition and they’re happy to be able to continue it.
"It’s fantastic. This is a guy I’ve known since middle school coming up here. We both graduated from here. To get to share those experiences and make new ones is fantastic,” said alumnus Brad Melchi.
"I missed it," said Purdue grad Leslie Chambers. "There’s a lot of memories here. It’s so special to come back."
The energy inside the stadium was just as exciting as the energy outside.
“There’s something about college football. When people are in the stands, it makes it a lot more exciting, and when that element is not there, you lose some of the fun,” said Melchi.
Even though seating is at full capacity, there are still a few safety precautions at Purdue, like contactless gate admission, digital ticketing and cashless transactions.
Melchi said he appreciates the effort. “It’s fantastic. I think Purdue has done a good job keeping the students safe. I’m assuming that’s going to continue with all the fans showing up today. I appreciate them taking precautions. It’s not an inconvenience for us,” he said.
And the fans went home happy as Purdue won 30-21.