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Purdue AD Makes Bizarre Comment About Indiana, Championships During Introductory Press Conference
Bleacher Report • • general
Key Points:
- Tommy McClelland, Purdue's new athletic director, made a bold statement during his introductory press conference by challenging Indiana University, saying, "If you don't want to win championships, go to Indiana."
- The comment drew mixed reactions, especially since Indiana recently won its first national football title seven months prior, making the timing of the joke somewhat awkward.
- McClelland emphasized the need to "raise the bar on what is possible" for Purdue athletics, aiming to inspire greater success despite Purdue's relatively modest national title history.
- Purdue holds overall bragging rights against Indiana in men's and women's basketball and football, but recent football results have favored Indiana, which won the last two Old Oaken Bucket games decisively.
- McClelland was hired after serving three years as Rice University's athletic director and will replace Mike Bobinski, who retires at the end of 2024.
