Boilermaker Alliance Adds Drew Brees to Board and Expands to All Sports
By Kristi Dosh
Last Updated on October 26, 2022
Disclosure: I have been engaged as a consultant for the Boilermaker Alliance.
The Boilermaker Alliance NIL collective for Purdue announced today it is adding alum and former NFL superstar Drew Brees to its Executive Board.
Brees, one of Purdue University’s most decorated alumni-athletes, will help guide the organization as it expands its offerings to all 385 scholarship student-athletes at Purdue University.
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“I believe in the mission of Boilermaker Alliance and what we are trying to accomplish in developing character and future leaders amongst our student-athletes. We will empower all 385 of them to make an impact, not just here in West Lafayette, but all over the world,” Brees said.
“Boilermaker Alliance will also provide all our amazing coaches the resources they need to compete for championships. We aim to set the standard so other universities can look to Purdue and model their programs after ours, but also use this as an opportunity to help develop leaders of character and do things the right way.”
“We are honored to have Drew on our board, as we consider him the most well-qualified person nationally to help lead a name-image-likeness organization for any university. He is the perfect fit for Boilermaker Alliance and we are confident his presence will amplify the reputation of our organization,” said Jeff McKean, president of Boilermaker Alliance.
“This is a new age in collegiate athletics and we know our expansion to all 385 student-athletes on scholarship is unprecedented. We aim to be a leader in this space for years to come.”
Boilermaker Alliance’s Charitable Endeavors
Boilermaker Alliance is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that seeks to empower and educate Purdue student athletes and help them use their NIL to assist charitable organizations, both in Indiana and in the communities in which the athletes live.
“Boilermaker Alliance is one more example of the Purdue community doing things the right way,” said former Purdue basketball player and current Detroit Piston Jaden Ivey. “Their charitable focus will set an example that others across the country will hopefully follow. It makes me proud to be a Boiler.”
Earlier this year, Boilermaker Alliance began partnering with athletes and is actively working with nonprofit organizations across the state and the country.
“Boilermaker Alliance is already making such an impact on local nonprofits, including mine, the Crew Life Basketball Foundation,” said Crew Life founder and Purdue athlete-alumnus Rapheal Davis. “Our recent fundraiser doubled in size and tripled our year-over-year profits all thanks to the work of this organization and our esteemed Purdue student-athletes. The way they are using NIL for good is ahead of its time and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Part of Brees’s involvement will be chairing the advisory board for Boilermaker Alliance. Akin Ayodele, Rapheal Davis, Jim Everett, Nick Hardwick, Robbie Hummel, Matt Light, Cuonzo Martin, Shaun Phillips, Pete Quinn, Bobby Riddell and Adam Schenk will be the initial members of the advisory board.
Endorsement from Purdue Athletics
The Boilermaker Alliance received vocal support from Purdue Athletics last month when athletic director Mike Bobinki included the collective in his fundraising letter to fans and alumni.
The letter included an endorsement of the organization and urged support for its $6 million fundraising goal:
“$6 million for the Boilermaker Alliance: Although all fundraising for name-image-likeness (NIL)-related activities must be external to the University and the athletics department, we would like to offer our endorsement of the considerable work done by many highly successful and engaged Purdue alumni to form the Boilermaker Alliance. Their announced annual goal of $6 million is representative of what we believe is necessary to provide our highest-profile programs and student-athletes with a competitive level of support. While we know this element of fundraising is new to our fans and all of college athletics, we believe in this trusted group of alumni and appreciate the thoughtful and deliberate approach they’ve taken to craft a program that reflects the mission and values of what it means to be a Boilermaker.”
