A day after his introductory news conference produced a misguided shot at in-state rival Indiana, new Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland acknowledged Friday that his remark had backfired.
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” McClelland said he realized immediately that his comment — “If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana” — missed the mark.
“Every now and then you line it up on the first tee, and you’re really excited about that round, and I put it right into the water,” he said. “I gotta put it back, tee it right back up, and I got 18 more holes to play.”
McClelland opened Thursday’s news conference by declaring Purdue was “here to win championships” before taking what he later described as an unscripted jab at the Hoosiers, who are coming off the program’s first football national title.
The quip spread across social media, with many questioning whether McClelland knew that Indiana is the reigning champion.
He addressed that directly at the start of his appearance with McAfee. “First of all, obviously I know they won the national championship. I was at the game with my youngest son,” McClelland said.
McClelland struck a similar tone earlier Friday on the podcast “Query & Company” with Jake Query, calling the remark “off the script, off the cuff” and “a joke that didn’t land well.”
“The thing that bothers me more than anything is it becomes a distraction to what the focus is,” McClelland said.
His original comment drew criticism not only because it came less than eight months after Indiana captured the national championship, but also because of the recent trajectory of the two football programs. The Hoosiers have outscored Purdue 122-3 over the last two seasons under Curt Cignetti, while the Boilermakers are trying to rebound from a 2-10 campaign in 2025.
