When he introduced himself to the Indiana fan base at a Hoosiers basketball game, Curt Cignetti memorably said, "I've never taken a back seat, and I don't plan on starting now. Purdue sucks, but so (do) Michigan and Ohio State." Those words, said back on Dec. 1, 2023, were viewed as a funny sidebar at the time, but now are the equivalent of the "Veni, vedi, veci" of the college sports world.
Speaking at his own introductory press conference on Thursday, new Purdue AD Tommy McClelland made his own attempt to "pull a Cignetti" -- that is, make a bold statement aimed at rivals that will one day looked back upon as prophetic.
Except he tried to pull a Cignetti on Curt Cignetti himself.
"Every recruit, every student athlete will hear this message repeatedly: We are here to win championships," McClelland said. "If you don't want to win championships, go to Indiana."
“If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.”
— Colin McMahon (@ColinMcMahon31) August 6, 2026
Purdue’s new AD Tommy McClelland takes a shot at #iufb/#iubb during his introductory press conference.
In light of recent events, I don’t think this was the best idea 🤣. pic.twitter.com/bpJMqODcoP
You heard that correctly. McClelland said if you don't want to win championships, go to Indiana. The school fresh off one of the most memorable and impressive runs to a championship in the history of intercollegiate athletics.
According to Purdue's new AD, that's where you should go if you're not interested in winning championships.
McClelland is an accomplished AD, with nearly 20 years experience running departments at McNeese, Louisiana Tech, and Rice, with a 4-year run in between as the deputy AD at Vanderbilt. In this specific moment, it's hard to imagine Purdue making a better choice.
But in the realm of memorable one-liners, telling non-championship-inclined recruits to go to Indiana doesn't quite bring to mind all-time great public speakers like a Cignetti or a Julius Caesar. Instead, it's giving much more Brick Tambland.
In their two Old Oaken Bucket games thus far, Cignetti's Hoosiers have beaten Purdue 66-0 and 56-3. IU went a combined 27-2 and pulled off the first 16-0 season in modern college football history; Purdue 3-21 over that same span, and hasn't won a Big Ten game since 2023. And, hey, there's nothing wrong with taking aim at your rivals, just don't do so in a way that is: A) a backhanded compliment to them, and B) will surely be shoved back in your face when IU beats Purdue again this November.