WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue University lost the bid to manage the Los Alamos National Laboratory. As News 18 previously reported, President Mitch Daniels and the Board of Trustees confirmed Purdue's bid in April.

The Nuclear Security Administration awarded the Los Alamos contract to Triad National Security. The top research and nuclear weapons facility will continue to run in New Mexico.

The team running the lab includes University of California, Texas A and M and Battelle.

Purdue University was a top finalist.

"I think it would have been an emblem of excellence," said Daniels. "And I think people will nationally notice that Purdue was a finalist for this. And I hope that we caught the attention of a few new people."

Daniels said he's disappointed the university wasn't picked.

"I think it was worth a try," said Daniels. "It would have meant a lot of opportunities for our faculty. A lot of opportunities for our students in physics and in nuclear engineering and perhaps other areas."

If Purdue would have been picked to run Los Alamos, it would have brought in $2.5 billion to the university over a ten year period.