Why Barry Odom Said Money 'Not Always the Answer' When Discussing Purdue's NIL

In today's landscape of college football, when things aren't going well, the immediate allegation is that a program isn't spending the money necessary to be successful. With a 2-6 record through eight games, Purdue coach Barry Odom was asked about the resources available through NIL opportunities for the program.

While NIL has certainly become an important part of college football these days, Odom says the difference between winning and losing isn't always about the dollars and cents. Instead, it's about identifying the right players who fit the values, the system, and the culture of a program.

Purdue is a full participant in the revenue-sharing aspect of college athletics, but what does the NIL situation look like, especially for the football program?

"I talked to two coaches this morning — ex-coaches, I guess I should say at this point — some of those questions came up. I'm searching for answers and ways to do it," Odom said. "Money is not always the answer. Getting the right fit in the organization, and the right people in the right places, that's ultimately the answer."

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom takes the field | David Banks-Imagn Images

Odom has reiterated multiple times that Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski and everyone within the university's administration have provided the program with everything necessary to be successful.

At this time, it just hasn't translated to wins on the field.

"Purdue has been very aggressive in giving us every single thing that we need, and I don't have one question at all about what we have from a financial standpoint to build a roster," Odom said.

The question about Purdue's NIL situation is fair after another tough start to the season. But it's also important to remember that Odom took over a program that had one of the worst seasons in program history in 2024, finishing with a 1-11 record and going 0-9 in conference play.

As much as Odom dismissed the idea of a rebuild in West Lafayette, it's a program that is essentially starting from scratch. Wins were never going to be easy to get.

Wins are going to be even more challenging to grab in the final four games, as Purdue plays No. 21 Michigan, No. 1 Ohio State, Washington, and No. 2 Indiana to end the year. Those four teams are a combined 27-4 on the year.

Odom says Purdue has resources to be successful

Purdue football head coach Barry Odom and Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Shortly after suffering a heartbreaking 27-24 loss to Rutgers on Saturday, Odom made his way to the postgame press conference and talked about the buy-in from Bobinski and others around the athletic department.

"I believe that Mike Bobinski (athletic director) and Tiffani Grimes (sport administrator and deputy AD) are two of the best in the country," Odom said following the game. "They've given us absolutely everything that we need in the 10 months I've been here to be successful.

Purdue had opportunities to win Saturday's game, but a late-game fumble allowed Rutgers to kick a game-winning field goal, extending the Boilermakers' Big Ten losing streak to 14 games.

Despite another tough loss, Odom remained confident that Purdue is on the right track and, at some point, the Boilermakers will start to rattle off the wins.

"We're building it, and the wins are going to come. That's a hard way to lose one," he said. "My guys fought this week; they poured everything they had into the preparation this week. They played with energy, they played with emotion, they played hard, and we came up short."

Odom says Purdue has resources to be successful

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