The Marquette Golden Eagles versus DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball game on January 16 is a significant Big East Conference matchup in the 2024-2025 NCAA Division I season. This contest features two historic programs with a long-standing rivalry, playing at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a scheduled tip-off at 8:30 PM Eastern Time. The game is a conference clash with implications for both teams' standings in the Big East and their potential postseason aspirations, including qualification for the NCAA Tournament. Marquette, under head coach Shaka Smart, entered the season with high expectations as a potential conference title contender, while DePaul, under new leadership, is in a rebuilding phase, making this a classic matchup of a top-tier program against one seeking to establish a new foundation. The outcome will be closely watched by college basketball analysts and fans for its impact on the conference hierarchy and for insights into each team's development trajectory. The game's result will directly influence the resolution of prediction markets tied to the event, which will remain active if postponed and resolve evenly if canceled without a makeup date.

Historical Context

The rivalry between Marquette and DePaul is one of the oldest and most played in college basketball, dating back to their first meeting in the 1916-1917 season. Both schools were foundational members of the Great Midwest Conference in the early 1990s and later became charter members of Conference USA in 1995. Their shared history intensified when both joined the re-formed Big East Conference in 2005, a league built around basketball-centric schools. The series has been overwhelmingly dominated by Marquette in recent decades. Since the 2000-2001 season, Marquette holds a decisive advantage, winning over 80% of the meetings. A particularly notable period was the tenure of coaches Tom Crean at Marquette and Jerry Wainwright at DePaul in the mid-2000s, which featured several competitive games. The rivalry's dynamic is characterized by Marquette's sustained success as a national program, including a Final Four appearance in 2003 and multiple deep NCAA Tournament runs, contrasted with DePaul's prolonged struggle to regain its status as a consistent contender since its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s under Ray Meyer. This historical imbalance adds context to each meeting, with DePaul often viewing games against Marquette as opportunities for program-defining upsets.

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