UW-Madison wins Big Ten blood drive, receives $1 million for health
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has been awarded $1 million to advance student or community health after winning a blood drive competition among all Big Ten Conference universities.
For the second year, global health care company Abbott sponsored the We Give Blood Drive in partnership with the Big Ten, creating one of the largest blood donation competitions and tackling a national blood shortage.
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin accepted the trophy and monetary award Saturday during the Discover Big Ten Championship Game between Ohio State University and Indiana University. The university will use the funds to advance student and community health.
“I’m incredibly proud of our Badger community for showing up with generosity, compassion, and fantastic teamwork,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said. “And I’m grateful to our peers in the Big Ten for their passionate engagement in this friendly competition, and to Abbott for the opportunity.
“A huge thank you to our students, faculty, and staff and broader Badger community for demonstrating once again the power of the Wisconsin Idea,” she added.
“Wisconsin Athletics was proud to support this crucial effort and thrilled to see the impact of Badgers working together,” said Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin Director of Athletics, who attributed the victory to the work of student ambassadors, focused blood drives at UW–Madison and elsewhere in the community and state, and the effects of social media sharing.
“This year’s competition not only helped to save a record-breaking number of lives, but it also showed the power of using sports for good with all schools increasing their participation from year one,” said Robert B. Ford, chairman and chief executive officer of Abbott.
As part of the competition, students, fans, alumni and communities across the country supported their favorite Big Ten schools by donating blood. Every donation could help save up to three lives, according to Abbott data. Members of the UW–Madison community participated in blood drives on campus and elsewhere through the fall and right through the final day of the competition yesterday.
UW-Madison and Badger supporters generated more than 15,476 blood donations that could save up to 46,428 lives. Overall, the conference recorded 83,043 blood donations, which could help save up to 249,129 lives.
The University of Nebraska, last year’s winner, came in second and Michigan was a distant third.
Blood donations in the competition surged 319% compared to 2024, marking a dramatic expansion of efforts to confront the national blood shortages.
The competition addressed the shortage and encouraged donations among the student-age population. The rate of blood donors between the ages of 19 and 24 had dropped by nearly a third in recent years, according to Abbott.
Abbott broadly encourages blood donations, which are essential in many medical situations, including for trauma patients, accident victims, cancer patients, mothers facing complications before, during, and after childbirth, and premature babies.
Illinois-based Abbott has growing ties to the Madison area, having recently announced the acquisition of Madison-based Exact Sciences and employing a number of alumni from the university.
