What Should the Top Priority Be For New Purdue AD Tommy McClelland?
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Tommy McClelland is going to have plenty of chores on his list when he breaks in his new office in West Lafayette. After reportedly agreeing to become Purdue's next athletic director, per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the 44-year-old has some important issues to address.
It's not difficult to know what should be at the top of his priority list, though. McClelland must get busy in the fundraising department to help Purdue become even more competitive in the Big Ten.
Much of that conversation circulates around the decline of the football program and the growing apathy that hovers above Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers have won just seven games in the last three seasons, have failed to defeat a Big Ten opponent the last two years and are picked to finish last in the conference again in 2026.
There isn't much McClelland will be able to do about the Boilers this fall, but by taking the job before Purdue's season opener against Indiana State, he'll have the opportunity to assess a full season and understand what's required for that program to return to winning ways.
Without watching a single game, though, McClelland should already know the top requirement: money.
For Purdue to compete with the best of the Big Ten, it's going to have to find ways to generate more revenue. It's going to be McClelland's biggest priority in West Lafayette, one he must address immediately upon his hiring.
Purdue coaches know what the school needs
McClelland brings two decades of experience to Purdue, having served as the athletic director at McNeese State (2008-13), Louisiana Tech (2013-2020) and Rice (2023-2026). He was also the deputy AD at Vanderbilt (2020-23).
One significant accomplishment on McClelland's resumé at Rice was helping fundraise for a $120 million stadium renovation. He also helped raise funds for facility upgrades during his time at Vanderbilt, per ESPN.
Having an athletic director who can generate revenue is going to be important for the long-term success for Purdue. Multiple coaches within the athletic department expressed its importance while speaking with the search committee during the process.
"They wanted to know what we were looking for, and it didn't take long for us to make it clear to them that we need somebody who can bring in more money to Purdue," head volleyball coach Dave Shondell told Purdue Boilermakers On SI. "We need money to be able to compete with Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin. If they give us a chance to do that, then we're going to be really successful, because we've been pretty successful without some of those advantages."
It was also confirmed that head football coach Barry Odom, women's basketball coach Katie Gearlds and men's basketball coach Matt Painter met with the search committee.
During Big Ten Football Media Days in late July, Odom talked about the importance of Purdue finding new revenue streams to help his program, and all Purdue sports, be more competitive on the national level.
"We need to be innovative and aggressive in bringing in revenue," Odom said in a video posted by GoldandBlack.com. "Especially in regard to funds available on top of what the revenue share cap is, and how important that is. The ability to attract long-term deals for our football program and our university and our athletic department.
"Purdue can do that. We have 600,000 alumni. There are so many companies in Indiana and the five-hour radius — the people are there. Purdue is built on innovation; let's be really innovative and find ways to get that in our favor."
Boilers have been successful in the past and present
Purdue may not be viewed in the same light as Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and others across the Big Ten, but it's not hard to see that there's a lot of potential in West Lafayette. With the proper formula, it can be one of the strongest athletic departments in the league.
It wasn't long ago that Purdue competed in the Big Ten Championship Game, playing Michigan at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2022. The Boilermakers enjoyed four bowl game appearances in Jeff Brohm's six seasons as head coach before leaving for Louisville.
Painter has established Purdue as one of the premier basketball programs in the country. The program has won four Big Ten regular-season titles, two Big Ten Tournament championships and has reached the National Championship Game in the past decade.
Additionally, the Boilers have made the NCAA Tournament in 11 straight seasons and have earned a top-four seed nine consecutive years, the longest-active streak in college basketball.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the women's basketball program was the most dominant in the league and one of the best in the country. Until UCLA's title run in 2026, Purdue remained the only Big Ten women's basketball program to win a national championship.
Under Shondell, the Boilermakers have frequently been atop the Big Ten volleyball standings and have enjoyed long runs in the NCAA Tournament. They have the potential to be a Final Four squad and one of the top teams in the conference again this fall.
McClelland doesn't have an easy job ahead, especially with football's fall over the last three years. There's massive potential, though. If he can find unique ways to generate revenue, Purdue's athletic department could become one of the league's best.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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