# Purdue athletic director appointment controversy

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/purdue-athletic-director-appointment-controversy
> Updated: 2026-08-06T18:03:48.000Z. Sources: 17. Developments: 2.

Purdue University announced on 4 August 2026 that Tommy McClelland, then athletic director at Rice University, would succeed retiring AD Mike Bobinski. The hiring highlighted McClelland’s experience expanding scholarships and adding women's sports at Rice and his prior fundraising work at Vanderbilt.

Two days later, at his introductory press conference, McClelland remarked, “If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana,” referencing Purdue’s recent struggles against rival Indiana University. The off‑hand comment sparked immediate criticism on social media, prompting McClelland to label it unscripted and a distraction from Purdue’s athletic goals.

## Claims

- Tommy McClelland is the new athletic director at Purdue University. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- McClelland said, “If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Indiana football won its first national championship in 2025. (single source)
- Indiana athletics has won 24 Division I national titles across all sports. (single source)
- Purdue has three Division I national titles across all sports. (single source)
- Purdue football finished the 2025 season with a 2‑10 record. (single source)
- Indiana football outscored Purdue 122‑3 over the past two seasons. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-06: Purdue Athletic Director Tommy McClelland's Rivalry Remark Sparks Backlash

Purdue’s new AD Tommy McClelland sparked backlash after saying, “If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana,” a remark made shortly after Indiana’s 2025 football title and a 122‑3 scoring edge over a

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/purdue-athletic-director-tommy-mcclellands-rivalry-remark-sparks-backlash

### 2026-08-04: Purdue University appoints Tommy McClelland as new athletic director

Purdue University will replace retiring AD Mike Bobinski with Rice's Tommy McClelland, who brings experience from Vanderbilt, Louisiana Tech and McNeese State.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/purdue-university-appoints-tommy-mcclelland-as-new-athletic-director

---
Cite as: Purdue athletic director appointment controversy. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/purdue-athletic-director-appointment-controversy