Purdue's new football coach says making the move from Las Vegas to the Midwest to lead the Boilermakers is a dream come true.

Why it matters: Barry Odom is walking into a football program still reeling from a nightmarish single-win season capped by a blowout at the hands of their biggest rival.

What they're saying: "When this job came open, I had always looked at it as one of the elite jobs in college football for a number of reasons," Odom said. "The academic prestige that is with this university, the geographic location … and then the ability to compete in the Big Ten Conference, which is obviously the strongest conference in all of college football."

Driving the news: The West Lafayette campus held a welcome celebration for Odom Tuesday at Mackey Arena.

• It featured remarks from Purdue president Mung Chiang, who said he and the Purdue Board of Trustees are "going to invest more than ever before in athletics."
• "We've got a glorious history in football," Chiang said. "Today, we're going to revitalize that."

By the numbers: The IndyStar reports Odom agreed to a six-year deal worth at least $39 million.

Catch up quick: Odom comes to Purdue from UNLV, where he led the Rebels to their winningest season in 40 years.

• The Rebels wrapped the 2024 season with a program-best No. 19 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls, and their first-ever CFP ranking.

Odom on why Purdue is a dream come true

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was named Time magazine's 2024 Athlete of the Year for her "unprecedented" influence in helping elevate WNBA viewership and interest in only her first season.

Why it matters: "It's one thing to rally around athletes during global spectacles like an Olympics or a World Cup," writes Sean Gregory, Time senior sports correspondent. "It's quite another to turn routine regular-season games in the WNBA, a league neglected for far too long over its 27-year history, into appointment viewing."

State of play: In a rare, in-depth interview, Clark defined the last year as "historic."

• A record-breaking number of people watched her on TV (1.3 million per game) and in person, with the Fever setting a new WNBA single-season home attendance record with 340,715 fans.

By the numbers: Clark set a WNBA single-season record in 2024 with 337 assists and recorded the first two triple-doubles by a rookie in WNBA history.

• Plus, the star power behind her and other players like Chicago's Angel Reese drove more money to the sport — with the Fever now valued at $90 million.

Yes, but: A dark spot has been the racism, sexism, threats and other online abuse hurled at players and their supporters as the WNBA pulled in new audiences.

• Clark acknowledged the rivalry narrative between her and Reese, saying she doesn't understand it: "We're not best friends, by any means, but we're very respectful of one another," she said to Time.

Keep reading

🚨 The City of Indianapolis' clinician-led mental health response team that launched in 2023 will expand to the city's north side next year. (WFYI)

🤝 Westfield City Council has approved a public-private agreement valued at $184 million that will allow a consortium of private firms to manage and operate the 400-acre Grand Park Sports Campus. (FOX59) 

📱 A Carmel Catholic school is now leading a national campaign that urges parents to wait until the end of eighth grade to give their child a smartphone. (WTHR)

☄️ Meteorologists say a loud flash and boom seen across Central Indiana skies early Tuesday was caused by the annual Geminid Meteor Shower. (WRTV)

💊 Indiana University is offering a free, online course to teach people how to respond to an opioid overdose. (WISH)

✌🏿Justin here!

If you're having one of those days where you don't know exactly what you want, but you know you want options, Yard House has the happy hour special for you.

The vibe: A sports bar that opts for dark, sophisticated lighting instead of walls covered in jerseys and memorabilia.

What to order: A little bit of everything.

• With more than 100 beers to choose from, it's a good spot to pop into downtown if you're meeting with a friend who can't make up their mind after a draining day.

💭 Justin's thought bubble: It's me. I'm that friend.

The deals: $2 off beer, wine, spirits and cocktails.

• Half off pizzas and select appetizers, including the Gardein Wings that earned Arika's Meatless Monday stamp of approval.

My take: This week I swung by for what Yard House calls The Cure, a new cocktail that blends Uncle Nearest 1884 whiskey, ginger citrus agave, clover honey syrup and a lemon peel.

• Just what the doctor ordered. A well-balanced combo of the aforementioned flavors that retains a lot of bite.
• Cost: $12.50 during happy hour (3-6pm Monday-Friday).

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Americans need to make nearly $800,000 a year to be in the top 1% of households nationally — but the bar varies considerably by location.

Why it matters: Income inequality has increased in recent years, with wealth becoming more concentrated at the top, per a Congressional Budget Office report.

• In 2022, the top 10% of U.S. households held 60% of all wealth, up from 56% in 1989.

By the numbers: Hoosiers in the top 1% make at least $559,929 as of 2021, adjusted to 2024 dollars.

• In 2021, more than 30,100 tax filers in Indiana were in the state's top 1%.
• Washington, D.C., has the highest threshold for one-percenters, at about $1.22 million.
• West Virginia has the lowest, at around $426,000.

Zoom out: Indiana's threshold puts it in the bottom 10 alongside other Midwestern states like Ohio and Iowa.