In November 2025, thirteen Purdue University athletes publicly declared their faith through baptism at a powerful "Baptism Night" event that drew national attention.
FCA Bible Study Bears Fruit
The movement started organically. Joshua McKenzie, who has served with Purdue's Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter since January, noticed something unusual happening. Several athletes had expressed a desire to be baptized - decisions that grew naturally out of their ongoing study through the Gospel of Matthew. After a recent lesson on Jesus' baptism, inquiries started flooding in.
Purdue Athletes Share Their Testimonies
Among those baptized were football players Demeco Kennedy and CJ Madden, who each prepared written testimonies to share before being immersed.
Kennedy's story resonated with many. He described himself as a "lukewarm believer" who hadn't been to church since he was an infant. "I heard about God growing up but didn't truly know Him," he shared. "When I got to college, I knew I needed to get right with God."
College Sports Revival Spreads Nationwide
The Purdue baptisms are part of a broader "mini-revival" sweeping college athletics in 2025. It started with images of baptisms led by Ohio State football players in August. Throughout the season, and especially in the College Football Playoff, players have been going viral for proclaiming their faith.
The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship made headlines for featuring two teams - Notre Dame and Ohio State - whose players openly expressed their faith throughout the season.
As former NFL player Benjamin Watson observed, something new is happening in college football. The scale and scope of Christianity in sports is at a higher level than it's ever been.
