Purdue AD Reaches Out For Support

The Boiling Point: Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke asks for patience and commitment in supporting football team.

In a guest column by Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke published Sunday in a Lafayette newspaper, Burke sheds some light on why Purdue ranked last among Big Ten schools in profitability for 2009. He points out that the department is self-sustaining, one of the few that doesn’t get a dime from the University, and also brings up the decline in football attendance. That’s where he wants fans to be a bit more committed and stick it out through the difficult times.

"We pledge to work our way up the Big Ten standings on the field, but we need your help to level the financial playing field.Last year, an average of 48,063 fans attended Purdue home games in a stadium that seats 62,500. Based on current ticket prices, increasing attendance by just 5,000 fans per game would generate upward of $1.25 million in revenue. At the same time, that modest increase would spark considerable additional spending throughout the community."

There’s no doubt it’s commendable that Burke has been able to operate the athletic department without any student fees and, for the most part, avoid any type of deficit. Personally, I also enjoy him writing columns like this to let the fans know exactly what he’s thinking and where the department stands.