PURDUE UNIVERSITY

As Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke enters his final year on the job, he’s greeting an incoming wave of Big Ten Conference sports administrators. Of the 14 athletic directors at this week’s Joint Group Meetings at league headquarters, four have been in their job only weeks or months. That includes Harrison grad and new Illinois AD Josh Whitman. “A lot of new faces, and that’s good,” said Burke, the dean of Big Ten ADs in his 23rd year. “But also we want to make sure the new faces understand the values and brand of the conference, the same as I did many years ago.” Burke spoke with reporters Wednesday at the conclusion of the three-day meetings. While Purdue continues the search process for his successor, Burke continues to advocate for reforms, especially regarding quality of life concerns for student athletes. -Nathan Baird, jconline.com– Read More