What channel is Purdue basketball vs. Arizona on today? Time, TV schedule top-five meeting

As far as mid-December college basketball goes, it doesn’t get much bigger than what Purdue will encounter this weekend.

The No. 4 Boilermakers (9-1) will make the short trip southeast to Indianapolis, where they will take on No. 1 Arizona (8-0) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in a matchup of top-five teams and viable national title contenders.

The contest is a part of the Indy Classic, which will also feature a game between Ball State and Indiana State that will tip off nearly three hours before Purdue and Arizona.

MORE: Watch Purdue vs. Arizona live with Peacock

Saturday’s matchup obviously doesn’t come with any conference implications — but it could play a crucial and deciding factor in several months when the Boilermakers and Wildcats jockey for a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Both programs dealt with the pain of astonishing upset losses in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, with Purdue becoming just the second No. 1 seed to ever lose to a No. 16 seed and No. 2 seed Arizona falling to No. 15 seed Princeton.

In the first six weeks of this season, though, both the Boilermakers and Wildcats have rebounded nicely.

Purdue owns three wins over teams that were ranked in the top 15 of the USA TODAY Coaches Poll at the time of the matchup, all of which came in November’s Maui Invitational. Center Zach Edey has looked every bit the part of the reigning national player of the year, as the star 7-4 senior is averaging 24.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while shooting 63% from the field.

Arizona, meanwhile, has the top ranking in the sport for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Like their opponent Saturday, the Wildcats have three wins over ranked teams, a run highlighted by a 78-73 victory on Nov. 10 at then-No. 3 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Third-year coach Tommy Lloyd’s team has been incredibly balanced thus far this season, with five players averaging between 12.3 and 14.1 points per game.

Here's everything you need to know about the game, including time, date, TV, streaming info and more:

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What channel is Purdue vs. Arizona today?

• Streaming: Peacock

The Boilermakers’ matchup with Arizona is not airing on a traditional television network.

Instead, the game will be broadcast on Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform. It’s part of a seven-year, $8 billion media rights deal the Big Ten signed with Fox, CBS and NBC in 2022, a contract that took effect for the 2023-24 athletic calendar.

Peacock was the exclusive home for eight Big Ten regular-season football games this season, and will air as many as 47 men’s basketball games in 2023-24. Saturday will mark the first of six time this season the Boilermakers will play a game on Peacock.

Purdue vs. Arizona start time

• Date: Saturday, Dec. 16

• Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

The Boilermakers and Wildcats will tip off from Indianapolis at 4:30 p.m. ET, though that time could change if the preceding Ball State-Indiana State game runs long.

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Purdue basketball schedule 2023-24

Purdue’s full 2023-24 men’s basketball schedule can be found here.

Arizona basketball schedule 2023-24

Arizona’s full 2023-24 men’s basketball schedule can be found here.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Purdue-Arizona basketball channel, time, TV schedule, streaming info