"Weekend" Update!
New, renamed John Purdue Club celebrations taking shape

Those of you who have picked up 2004 schedule cards may have noticed a new addition to this year’s slate of football events – Legends Weekend.

Legends Weekend celebrates the kickoff of the new football season by bringing back stars from the gridiron past. John Purdue Club members will have the opportunity to spend time with former football players and relive memories of past Boilermaker victories.

The events start on Saturday, Sept. 4 with a scramble golf outing. Following golf, a reception and program will bring everyone together for the evening. This year’s keynote speaker representing the former players is former quarterback Mike Phipps. Other former players scheduled to appear at Legends Weekend will include Jim Beirne and Jim Bonk, among others.

While the Saturday events are available only to John Purdue Club members at the MVP level and above, there will also be a Legends Weekend Tailgate Party before the game on Sunday that will be open to members at the Captain level and above. This tailgate will include lots of food and the continued opportunity to rubs elbows with the greats of Purdue football -- just as we prepare to kick off the season!

“We’re excited about adding Legends Weekend to our calendar,” said Athletics Director Morgan Burke. “This event is great for fans in that it helps bring back fond memories and helps set the stage for our first game. It’s also important to have this group of former football players back on campus and show them where Joe’s program is headed.”

That last point – showing former student-athletes what’s happening on campus today – also ties into another new event listing this fall. Varsity P Club Weekend may look new on the schedule cards, but it’s actually a renamed version of the former P-Awards Weekend. This year’s Varsity P Club Weekend coincides with Homecoming, which is the Oct. 16 game vs. Wisconsin.

Varsity P Club Weekend is a homecoming of sorts for former student-athletes. With the official start of the Varsity P Club this year, everything that relates to former student- athletes will now operate under the banner of the Varsity P Club. The Varsity P Club effort goes beyond renaming our events and activities. An expanded newsletter, web site and web-based database are ways we hope to keep former student-athletes connected to Purdue.