Purdue University Northwest Athletics

What Purdue University Northwest Athletics does

Purdue University Northwest Athletics (PNW Pride) is the intercollegiate athletics department of Purdue University Northwest, a public state university operating across two campuses in Hammond and Westville, Indiana. The department fields 23 NCAA Division II and ACHA-sanctioned sports programs serving more than 530 student-athletes, and competes as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). It is led by Director of Athletics Rick Costello, with John Friend serving as Director of Athletics Emeritus following a 20-year tenure as AD at Purdue University Calumet.

The program generates operating revenue through a diversified mix of channels: single-game and season ticket sales (card-only, no cash accepted), media rights via a streaming partnership with FloCollege/FloSports, corporate sponsorships through the Corporate Champions program (40+ regional businesses including Nike, PepsiCo, Nipsco, Laborers' Local 41, RUSH Physical Therapy, Purdue Federal Credit Union, and Wintrust), and philanthropic fundraising through the Champions Club and the annual Day of Giving campaign, which raised a record $508,000 in April 2026. Additional revenue comes from youth sports camps and clinics and merchandise sales through the BSN Sports team shop. The department holds naming-rights deals for multiple facilities, including The Kube Sports Complex (ice hockey, opened January 2020), RUSH Physical Therapy Field, Pepsi Field, and Laborers' Local 41 Field.

Strategic positioning centers on balancing competitive athletics with academic outcomes. The department has maintained a GPA above 3.0 for 21 consecutive semesters, with 130 student-athletes earning GLIAC All-Academic honors in 2025-26, and has secured 21 conference championships since transitioning to NCAA Division II in 2016-17. The D1 hockey program has qualified for three consecutive ACHA National Tournament berths and won its first-ever GLCHL Tournament Championship. As a state university department, PNW Athletics is not a commercially reporting entity and has no private capital, M&A, or equity-related strategic levers.

Name

Purdue University Northwest Athletics

Legal name

Purdue University Northwest Athletics

Website

https://pnwathletics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Purdue University Northwest Athletics is the intercollegiate athletics department of Purdue University Northwest, fielding 23 NCAA Division II and ACHA sports programs serving 530+ student-athletes across Hammond and Westville, Indiana campuses, funded through tickets, media rights, and corporate and donor support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collegiate Athletics

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

College/University Sports Events (NCAA & equivalents) (MPAGAMAE), Collegiate & School Athletic Facilities (MPAKAEAJ)

Keywords

• Intercollegiate athletics
• NCAA Division II sports
• College athletic programs
• University sports teams
• College athletics fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Hammond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Athletic Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales to home athletic events across all sports programs including men's and women's basketball, hockey, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, track & field, and other sports.
2. Media Rights and Streaming: Partnership with FloCollege/FloSports for broadcasting live games and events, generating revenue through media rights agreements.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Annual Day of Giving campaign raising over $508,000 in 2026; Champions Club donor program; individual endowed scholarships such as John and Betty Friend Endowed Athletics Scholarship; total of $1.8M raised over five years.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate Champions program with 40+ local and regional businesses providing financial support, sponsorships, and in-kind contributions. Includes companies like Laborers' Local 41, PepsiCo, Nike, Nipsco, and various restaurants and service businesses.
5. Camps and Clinics: Revenue from sports camps and clinics programs offered to youth athletes, providing training and development opportunities while generating program income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Purdue University Northwest Athletics operates 23 NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports programs with more than 530 student-athletes across men's and women's teams at the Hammond and Westville, Indiana campuses. The department fields teams in sports such as men's and women's basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, cross country, track and field, golf, tennis, volleyball, and football, providing competitive collegiate athletic opportunities and representing the university in conference and NCAA competition.

Product overview

Purdue University Northwest Athletics operates as an NCAA Division II athletic department offering 23 intercollegiate sports programs serving over 530 student-athletes. The department consists of men's and women's teams across basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, soccer, tennis, track & field, along with baseball, softball, STUNT, flag football, volleyball, cheer, and dance. The athletics program includes various facilities (The Kube ice rink, fitness center, field complex), youth camps and clinics, and fundraising programs like the Champions Club and Corporate Champions partnership initiative. The department is a member of GLIAC and the ACHA for hockey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 21 consecutive semesters with department GPA above 3.0
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Laborers' Local 41coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 December 2024Major corporate champion and sponsor of PNW Athletics. President Scott Sparks cited partnership as bringing high-level student-athletes to Northwest Indiana and creating a culture for student-athlete success.
• NikecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion providing athletic apparel and equipment sponsorship to PNW Athletics programs.
• PepsiCocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion and beverage sponsor for PNW Athletics events and facilities.
• Nipsco (Northern Indiana Public Service Company)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion energy sponsor supporting PNW Athletics programs.
• Buffalo Wild Wings of HammondsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant partner and corporate champion providing dining sponsorship and fan engagement opportunities.
• Berglund ConstructionsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction company partner and corporate champion supporting athletics facilities and programs.
• Courtyard Marriott Chicago Southeast HammondsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner providing accommodation support for visiting teams and recruits.
• RUSH Physical TherapymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMedical services partner providing physical therapy and sports medicine support. Naming rights sponsor of RUSH Physical Therapy Field (Softball).
• FloCollege/FloSportscoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial streaming partner broadcasting PNW Athletics events live via FloCollege platform, part of the FloSports network.
• GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCAA Division II conference membership providing competitive athletics framework and conference championships across all sports.
• NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoverning body for collegiate athletics providing rules, compliance framework, and national championship opportunities.
• ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoverning body for ACHA Division I and II ice hockey programs. PNW men's and women's hockey compete under ACHA rules.
• Kube Sports ComplexcoreTechnology or IntegrationJoint venture facility housing the PNW Ice Rink (The Ice Kube) along with Ninja Kids trampoline park and The Kube Lounge. Pride took home ice in January 2020.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Indianapolis Athletics: GLIAC D2 member with an athletic department of comparable size and sport count, sharing the same conference scheduling and competitive context. Comparable in academic-athletic dual-mission positioning.
• Grand Valley State University Athletics: Fellow NCAA Division II member of the GLIAC conference with a comparable multi-sport department, similar scale, and overlapping recruiting geography in the Midwest. Directly competes against PNW for GLIAC championships and shared scheduling.
• Ferris State University Athletics: GLIAC D2 peer with a strong hockey tradition and similar D2 footprint. Provides direct benchmarking for ACHA/NCAA hockey programs and Midwest D2 athletics operations.
• Ashland University Athletics: NCAA Division II school with comparable sport count and private-institution sponsorship model. Useful for comparing corporate champion programs and donor-driven revenue structures.
• Davenport University Athletics: GLIAC D2 competitor with similar enrollment profile and sport offerings; comparable in private/public sponsorship mix and D2-level media-rights economics. Useful peer for benchmarking fan engagement and corporate partnership revenue.
• Saginaw Valley State University Athletics: Another GLIAC D2 peer located in Michigan, fielding a similar number of NCAA D2 sports and competing in the same conference championships. Closely comparable in athletic department scale, fundraising model, and community-engagement approach.
• Michigan Tech Huskies Athletics: GLIAC conference counterpart with a similar D2 footprint, comparable sports sponsorship mix, and overlapping GLIAC championship slate. Provides direct competitive benchmarking for PNW's basketball, hockey, and Olympic sports programs.
• Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics: Purdue system sister institution competing in NCAA Division I (in some sports) and Horizon League, providing a peer within the same Purdue ecosystem for fundraising benchmarks, brand leverage, and athletic department operating model comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC): The NCAA D2 conference in which PNW competes, distributing media rights, governing championships, and co-managing the FloCollege streaming relationship. Operates as the structural framework around PNW Athletics' competitive calendar.
• NCAA: National governing body providing compliance, championship pathways, and rules framework that define PNW Athletics' operating constraints and competitive opportunities at the Division II level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pnwathletics
• Facebookfacebook.com/PNWathletics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Purdue University Northwest Athletics