Sports Lawyer Elevated to Assistant A.D. for Resource and Contract Management at Purdue
Purdue Athletics has appointed Tanner Ball as the athletic department’s new assistant athletics director for resource and contract management.
Ball, who was elevated to the position from his prior role as director of strategic initiatives, will aid the Boilermakers in successfully implementing measures associated to the House Settlement case, including planning and tracking the distribution of revenue share payments to student-athletes. Ball will be responsible for the department’s contract management protocols, maintaining a competitive edge in the adherence to emerging rules and regulations, as well as ongoing compliance to NCAA parameters and University policies.
“Tanner Ball’s experiences at Purdue, as well as his career accomplishments and educational background, make him uniquely qualified to help us excel in this new frontier within college athletics,” said Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer Ken Halpin. “Tanner has bolstered our athletics department’s revenue-generating endeavors during his time on campus, and his expertise will be of tremendous benefit to us as we forge ahead in the revenue sharing era.”
As Purdue’s director of strategic initiatives from 2022-25, Ball oversaw key revenue generating relationships on behalf of the Boilermakers, including the management of the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, the Schwartz Tennis Center, and the department’s partnership with the Purdue Team Store. Ball was also essential to the growth of Purdue’s efforts in the name, image and likeness space, as he aided in numerous merchandising opportunities that directly benefited Purdue student-athletes.
“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to guide Purdue through a period of substantial change in the structure of intercollegiate athletics,” said Ball. “In the name, image and likeness era, we were able to set an immediate standard of success for our athletics department, sports programs and student-athletes, and I know I speak for everyone at Purdue in that we look forward to seeing that continue as we implement these new revenue sharing processes and procedures.”
Prior to his arrival in West Lafayette, Ball served as assistant athletics director for administration at East Tennessee State from 2018-21. During his grad school days at ETSU, Ball specifically worked in the department’s development office.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2013, Ball went on to earn his MBA from East Tennessee State University in 2016 and followed that with his JD from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis in 2018.