Purdue Fan Pride

Boilermakers show their deep love for Purdue in countless creative ways

Fans of Purdue love the university so much that some permanently choose to display it on their bodies with tattoos. Others deck out their homes with carefully curated and crafted displays of their pride.

For many, Purdue is more than a world-class university, it’s an intrinsic part of their lives. Read about these super fan stories and see how their Purdue pride leads to endless creativity!

Todd and Jessica Foster

A Purdue-themed basketball barn built for dreamers

Have you ever wanted to play basketball in Purdue’s Mackey Arena? Now you can play in a barn that is known as ‘Mini-Mackey.’ Todd Foster’s dream was to open a multifunctional basketball facility ­­— not only for his family but

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Purdue alumnus Chris Pate shows off some of the items in his massive Boilermaker collection

Meet the Boilermaker with the ‘world’s largest Purdue collection’

Chris Pate’s fan cave is full of museum-quality pieces of Purdue history.

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Brittany

A tattoo sleeve full of Purdue memories

Name: Brittany Blackford Graduation year: Fall 2015 Major/area of study: Wildlife; fisheries and aquatic sciences Current career: Small-business owner and Master of Science student at Mississippi State University studying conservation education Meet Brittany, who has a tattoo sleeve dedicated to

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Purdue Tattoos

Purdue arch

“Ever Grateful, Ever True” couple tattoo

Name:  Jacie GrantGraduation year: 2016 Major/area of study: Animal sciences Current career: Senior supply chain analyst for Cargill Meet the Boilermaker couple who share a tattoo tribute to Purdue. 1. Tell us about your Purdue tattoo. I have “ever grateful”…
Purdue tattoo

A Purdue tattoo that’s a reminder of home

Name: Beth Black Graduation year: Purdue West Lafayette, 2014, and Purdue Fort Wayne, 2019 Major/Area of Study: Elementary education and Master of Business Administration Current career: Multiunit store manager for Follett Higher Education Meet alumna Beth Black, who dedicated a…
Brittany

A tattoo sleeve full of Purdue memories

Name: Brittany Blackford Graduation year: Fall 2015 Major/area of study: Wildlife; fisheries and aquatic sciences Current career: Small-business owner and Master of Science student at Mississippi State University studying conservation education Meet Brittany, who has a tattoo sleeve dedicated to…
Chyna

A daring Boilermaker tattoo

Name: Chyna Ferguson Graduation year: 2021 Major/area of study: Mass communication Current career: Digital marketing Meet the woman whose co-worker dared her to get a Purdue tattoo — and who went through with it. 1. Tell us about your Purdue…
Purdue boiler train

Meet Logan Cassady and his Purdue train tattoo

Name: Logan Cassady Graduation year: 2019 Major/area of study: Mechanical Engineering Technology Current career: Sales engineer for Ryan Fireprotection As the only person in his family with a tattoo, this Boilermaker knew he wanted a Purdue train tattoo to commemorate…
Tattoo of Michael Davis and Isaak Davis

Starting a new Purdue family tattoo tradition

Name: Michael Davis and Isaak DavisGraduation year: 1992 for dad and 2019 for sonMajor/area of study: Law and society (criminology) for dad; hospitality and tourism management for sonCurrent career: Michael is a retired police officer, currently working in the electric…
Purdue tattoo

A Boilermaker Special train tattoo

Name: Samuel KornicksGraduation year: 2015Major/area of study: Double major in political science/law and society with a minor in forensics.Current career: Full-time firefighter/EMT for the city of Lebanon, Indiana Meet the firefighter who is on the Boilermaker Special hype train. 1….
Gavin's tatto

A Purdue Pete vintage tattoo

Name: Gavin Gordon Purdue connection: I’m a huge fan, and so is my family! Current career: I work in the mental health industry at a hospital, and I’m a former case manager. Meet the Purdue football fan with a vintage-inspired Purdue…
Nolan tattoo

A tattoo that is a monument to Purdue’s impact

Name: Nolan SharplessGraduation year: 2021Major/area of study: Computer scienceCurrent career: I am a software engineer. Meet Nolan, whose love for Purdue and its iconic symbols inspired him to permanently mark his body in tribute. 1. Tell us about your Purdue…

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Purdue Barns

Rick and Dee Rietz

Motion P barn stops you in your tracks

Meet the Boilermaker fan family that handcrafted Purdue’s Motion P logo on their barn Rick and Dee Rietz come from a family of die-hard Boilermakers. Rick (BS management ’76), Dee (BS consumer and family sciences ’79) and their son Adam…
Todd and Jessica Foster

A Purdue-themed basketball barn built for dreamers

Have you ever wanted to play basketball in Purdue’s Mackey Arena? Now you can play in a barn that is known as ‘Mini-Mackey.’ Todd Foster’s dream was to open a multifunctional basketball facility ­­— not only for his family but…
The Smith’s

A Purdue Pete barn at Smith Family Farms

An 8th-generation family farm emphasizes Purdue pride and the importance of teaching children about Indiana farming Over 100 years old and still standing is the Smith Family Farms’ barn, with a distinctive Purdue Pete decorating its side. This eighth-generation family…

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Purdue Fan Caves

Eric Jakubiak poses in the lockers he built to house his Purdue memorabilia collection.

A fan cave can go anywhere — even in a bathroom

Eric Jakubiak remodeled his basement bathroom in gold and black during a pandemic quarantine You wouldn’t necessarily look at the photo and understand its significance unless you were a Boilermaker — and even then, you’d need to be Eric Jakubiak…
Purdue alumnus Chris Pate shows off some of the items in his massive Boilermaker collection

Meet the Boilermaker with the ‘world’s largest Purdue collection’

Chris Pate’s fan cave is full of museum-quality pieces of Purdue history.

Purdue alum Don Hunt and his bar built using a section of original flooring from Mackey Arena

Check out a Purdue fan cave where each piece has a memorable story

Don Hunt still has the ticket from his first Purdue game, among his extensive Boilermaker memorabilia collection.

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