Today’s guest columnist is Ken Halpin, the Deputy Athletics Director at Purdue University.
Mary Shelley’s literary classic Frankenstein inspired an important question that readers have discussed for two centuries: “Who was the real monster?”
On its face, it appeared that the creature was the monster. But many readers found that Dr. Frankenstein, driven by greed and a pursuit of achievement, was the real monster. Still, others perceived that the monster was actually the community who rejected the creation, not understanding what he was and reacting only to his unsightly façade.
It is hard not to think of this analogy today when considering everything that has become of major college athletics and the NCAA. What started in 1906 as an organization aimed at governing rules for collegiate sport has grown into a billion-dollar entity that is the target of significant criticism of late. The current social, legal and financial challenges facing the NCAA have created a seeming monstrosity that is now almost unrecognizable compared to where it began.
As Kevin Blue aptly summarized in his open letter to new NCAA President Charlie Baker, today’s NCAA is not unlike ancient societies that unraveled when change occurred faster than their capacity to solve their problems. In spite of these growing difficulties, March is a pervasive reminder that intercollegiate athletics remain an important entity within our country and culture.
While there is no question that the NCAA has problems that need to be resolved, it still is not the monster that many make it out to be. In the midst of turmoil and criticism, many people miss the numerous examples of the life lessons student-athletes learn on their campuses and the impact they have in the communities where they compete. Amid the current narrative that many student-athletes care only about NIL money and will transfer at the earliest sign of difficulty, redeeming stories of what makes intercollegiate athletics great are often lost in the fray.
In the world of NIL and rampant transferring, Brandon Newman stands out as one such example. Brandon’s career at Purdue has had incredible highs but also challenges, as highlighted by this Indiana Business Journal article. Brandon experienced frustration, communicated directly with the coaches who recruited him, took their feedback seriously and then kept working. If you’re a Purdue fan, you likely know Brandon’s story, and he has probably been one of your favorite student-athletes. What matters most to Purdue is that Brandon is already an alumnus. Brandon graduated, but instead of transferring when his playing time diminished, he instead chose to stay at Purdue, complete his degree and keep improving as a basketball player. Eventually, Brandon re-emerged into the starting lineup and helped lead Purdue to the Big Ten men’s basketball title.
Brandon’s commitment to focusing on what matters most—his future—is an example of what makes working in college athletics, and for those of us lucky enough to work here at Purdue, so meaningful. The truth is that not every young talented student-athlete cares only about NIL, and many still choose to work even harder through difficult trials. And like Brandon, these young athletes grow to become role models for their communities. Stories like these matter within the midst of what college athletics—and March Madness—has become. They protect and strengthen the affinity felt by those who watch and support our student-athletes.
And make no mistake, although there are no No. 1, 2, or 3 seeds in the men’s Final Four this year (still a sore subject in West Lafayette), the NCAA tournaments—both men’s and women’s—have cemented themselves as some of the most important spectacles our country gets to experience each year. Entire work days stop in the month of March so that people can watch tournament games with their friends. The 2022 women’s national championship game was the most watched in the past 18 years, and viewership of the first two rounds of this year’s women’s tournament was up 27% over last year according to @ESPNPR. From a dollars-and-cents point of view, the current media contracts reinforce how much the men’s version of March Madness matters.
- Big Ten: $1.1 billion per year
- NCAA Tournament: $880 million per year
- College Football Playoffs: $470 million per year
- Big 12: $380 million per year
- SEC: $300 million per year
- Pac-12: $250 million per year
- ACC: $240 million per year
The relevance of that $880 million doesn’t just pertain to the NCAA tournament; that money pays for each of the 90 championships that the NCAA is responsible for organizing every year across all three divisions. The importance of that money impacts more than 50,000 student-athletes annually competing for championships while working to grow into the best versions of themselves, just like Brandon Newman.
So as you tune in to enjoy the men’s and women’s Final Fours and find out who will win each national title, pay attention to the stories of the student-athletes and the journeys they have taken to get to where they are. Continue supporting the narrative that this industry is still made-up of many coaches and administrators who understand that winning takes on many forms, and that student-athletes like Brandon Newman have already won.
Ken began working at Purdue as Deputy Athletics Director at Purdue University since August of 2021. He joined the Boilermakers after serving for five years as the Director of Athletics at Winthrop University.