Patrick Bade To Transition From Purdue Basketball To Football Program

purdue-logoRising junior Patrick Bade will transition from the Purdue men’s basketball program to the Boilermaker football program effective immediately, head coaches Matt Painter and Danny Hope announced on Wednesday.

“We wish Patrick nothing but the best as he pursues a college football career at Purdue,” Painter said. “He is a valued member of the Purdue Athletics family, and we’re happy that he has chosen to remain at the University.”

Bade played in 58 games for the Boilermakers over the last two seasons, starting four times. The Indianapolis native averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, with career highs of 10 points and nine boards.

“I want to thank the Purdue basketball staff for the opportunity to be a member of such a successful program for the last two years,” Bade said. “This is the start of a new chapter for me, and I look forward to taking on the challenges that come with playing college football. I’m excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.”

“We’ve met with Patrick and I know he’s excited about joining our football team,” Hope said. “He didn’t play football his senior year of high school, but I’ve seen his junior film and he looks like a pretty good prospect for us. He’s a big-body guy who plays a position where we have a quite a bit of youth and not a lot experience, so he’ll be able to compete right away. We’re happy to have him aboard.”

The Purdue football team will kick off the 2011 season on Sept. 3 when it plays host to Middle Tennessee State, while the Boilermaker basketball team will open the 2010-11 campaign against Northern Illinois on Nov. 11 as part of Mackey Celebration Weekend.