That is the thing though...they ALWAYS are playing catch up, and, they generally do not ever even genuinely catch up.
Competitive...I would agree, but, I don't know that I am as optimistic in this case, more so in that "competitive" is going to be much more arbitrary (or difficult to attain).
And, in this case, I am not sure that they can afford to wait things out as they have in the past...that, in doing so, the gap will be too difficult to make up here. It is one thing to ultimately come around to the idea of having to spend money to make money, and, to invest in order to compete on the field...I actually see Purdue being fine in that regard (salaries and facilities)...this is entirely different, and, the fact that Purdue had largely consciously ignored it until just recently, then, it was ultra-conservative even in getting involved (if we can even call it that). Being competitive from a facilities standpoint and coaching salaries standpoint is not the same as being competitive from paying kids to play, and, Purdue has shown ZERO interest in that to this point. I am not bashing that any more than I am condoning it...it is what it is...but, there are consequences. Coaching salaries did not keep Purdue from getting kids...facilities were not the reason that it got guys that it did, or, the primary reason that they lost kids that they did not...but, not paying a kid to play when other schools not only will, but, will pay them a lot, absolutely will be the reason that they do not get kids that they otherwise may have...it already has been, and, it will continue to be.
I don't even know that you can make up for that as they could in the other cases either...Purdue is never going to pay kids as other conferences do....heck, it is not even doing what Miami did in the case of Pack (nor will it)...and, it is not as though they are going to pay what tOSU or UM ultimately will (or, new conference members UCLA and USC)...the difference is that in the past, Purdue could still get guys that were national caliber recruits...now, those guys are going to get paid, and, Purdue has decided that it does not want to be involved...even if they ultimately decide otherwise...I don't know that it would be enough, or, that it would not be too late.