BigTen blood drive: help Wisconsin beat rival B10 schools and get a free Badger shirt

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Chris Pirrone | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 3:23 PM ET

The Big Ten Conference is feeding our competitiveness by partnering with healthcare provider Abbott to launch the “We Give Blood” competition among BigTen schools.

In addition to crushing Badger B10 rivals in yet another contest, the charitable purpose seeks to address the current severe blood shortage in the United States.

HELP WISCONSIN WIN A $1 MILLION GRANT FROM ABBOTT & RECEIVE A FREE 'BADGERS GIVE BLOOD' T-SHIRT

This initiative taps into school spirit and collegiate rivalries to encourage students, alumni, and fans of all 18 Big Ten universities to donate blood during the college football season.

The competition runs from August 27 to December 5, 2025.

The school with the most donations will receive a $1 million grant from Abbott to support student or community health initiatives.

The winner will be announced at the Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 6.

After donating, you can claim your free limited edition Homefield T-shirt.

How to Participate and Get on the Leaderboard

Donate Blood: Give blood at any donation center or blood drive across the country before December 5.
Where: You can find a blood center near you at BigTen.org/Abbott
Log Your Donation: Help Wisconsin win by logging your donation
Submit proof of your donation (or attempt to donate) by:
- Uploading it at BigTen.org/Abbott
- Or texting DONATE to 222688

GET A FREE BADGERS T-SHIRT

After logging your donation, you’ll receive instructions via email to claim a limited-edition Homefield Badgers T-shirt. T-shirts are available while supplies last.

The Battle for Big Ten Donation Supremecy

Since the competition launched in August, Wisconsin has held a significant lead. The Badgers currently have over 11,000 donations but last year's champions, Nebraska, have closed the gap and even took over first place last week.

Wisconsin battled back but the gap is under 100 donors.

In last year’s competition (2024), Wisconsin finished second to Nebraska. We need Badger nation to get out and donate to bring home the $1 million for the school.

At the time of publishing this post, Wisconsin was in a VERY close race with the University of Nebraska, holding a narrow lead of just 20 donors after over 60,000 donations.

This year alone, there have been over 60,000 donations in the competition, saving up to 180,000 lives. Last year, there were a total of 20,000 donations, so the competition has grown significantly in year two.

Why did Abbott and the BigTen launch this bllood drive competition

The U.S. is facing a critical blood shortage, with some centers reporting a supply of less than 1 day.
Young donor participation has declined sharply in recent years.
Blood is needed every two seconds for trauma victims, new mothers, cancer patients, and more.
The campaign aims to inspire a new generation of lifelong blood donors by leveraging college pride and competition.
One donation can save up to three lives and blood is needed every two seconds in the U.S.

This article first appeared on Wisconsin Badgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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