10 questions facing Purdue, new athletic director Tommy McClelland

While the hiring of Tommy McClelland as Purdue’s athletic director isn’t completely official, all signs point to a done deal.

McClelland will leave Rice and the Houston area for West Lafayette, arriving in town as soon as Wednesday morning. Look for a press release and a press conference before the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday (executive session) and Friday (public meeting).

McClelland will replace Mike Bobinski, who is retiring after 10 years at Purdue and 42 years in college athletics.

The 44-year-old McClelland has spent two decades in the business, including the last three years as the athletic director at Rice. He now moves into a coveted Power 4 position in a powerful conference with twice as many resources and must help Purdue athletes, teams, and the university navigate the ever-changing landscape.

Here are 10 questions facing McClelland as he prepares for a new area of Purdue athletics:

• Will McClelland clearly articulate his vision for the next 10 years and beyond? This doesn’t need to happen at his opening press conference, but he must present a clear message of where he sees the department in the future. McClelland needs to give the Purdue community an idea of what he wants to accomplish and how the athletic department arrives at its desired destination.

• How will McClelland divide up the revenue-share pie among the four revenue sports (football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball)? Under Bobinski, about 90% of the roughly $22 million is allotted to football and men’s basketball, as it should. Does McClelland tweak the remaining percentages and reward programs that deliver success on a consistent basis?

• What is McClelland’s plan to increase Purdue’s NIL program and bring in more dollars?

• What are the details and length of McClelland’s contract? Rice is a private university, and salaries are not subject to open records requests.

According to the university’s latest Form 990 submitted on May 11 to the IRS for FY25, McClelland earned $784,895 in reported compensation and an additional $92,171 from other compensation. McClelland likely earned more compensation during the 2025-26 fiscal year, but those figures won’t be known until next spring.

Bobinski was scheduled to earn $1.025 million in base salary (plus $400,000 in deferred compensation) during the 2026-27 school year before incentives are triggered. Those numbers increased to $1.075 million (plus $450,000 in deferred compensation) during the final year of his contract.

Is that the starting point for McClelland?

• If finding additional revenue outside of fundraising was one key to McClelland’s hire, will the BOT include financial incentives in this area in his contract?

The bonus structure at Purdue for the athletic director is a bit archaic. While performance and academic-based incentives, along with running a financially efficient department, are a big part of the job, reward McClelland if he delivers more outside revenue to push Purdue forward.

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• At Rice, McClelland operated a roughly $70 million budget in FY25. At Purdue, it’s more than twice the size, coming in at $150 million in FY25. How will McClelland manage more resources, ensure coaches and programs are fully funded, and athletes compensated to compete at the highest level, all while expenses continue to rise?

• How will McClelland shape his executive staff? Purdue currently has two deputy athletic directors, five senior associate athletic directors, and seven associate athletic directors. Not all of them are responsible for a sport. Others oversee business, sports medicine, ticket operations, compliance, communications, facilities, and student-athlete development. After evaluating the department, what parts - if any - will McClelland reorganize, looking to maximize performance in all areas?

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• How will McClelland keep fans coming to Ross-Ade Stadium if the product on the field doesn’t markedly improve under second-year coach Barry Odom? Odom shouldn’t be going anywhere after two seasons, but ensuring attendance doesn’t slip will become a priority if wins don’t start to materialize.

• What are McClelland’s thoughts on the Protect College Sports Act, which is trying to land on the Senate floor for a vote before the end of the week? Does his perspective change now that he’s at Purdue compared to Rice?

• And how will McClelland handle the winter climate in Indiana? He was born in Louisiana, attended Northwestern State, worked at McNeese State and Louisiana Tech and Vanderbilt before taking over at Rice. Does he own a winter coat?