They played their home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana and competed in the Big Ten Conference.

In its fourth year under head coach Joe Tiller, Purdue compiled an 8–4 record, won the conference championship, but was defeated by Washington in the 2001 Rose Bowl.

Prior to 2000, the Boilermakers had compiled three consecutive winning seasons and had not won a Big Ten Championship since the 1967 Purdue team.

The 2000 team, which boasted two future Super Bowl winners, was featured in the 2013 Big Ten Network documentary series Big Ten Elite[1] and is still widely regarded by Purdue fans as one of the greatest Boilermakers football teams of all time.

Drew Brees becomes the career passing yardage leader in Big Ten history.