About Big East Conference
An association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments.
Focus Areas
college athleticsesportsstudent developmentcommunity engagementsports media and broadcasting
Who They Fund
athletes/participants (age not specified)sports teams/organized athletic groupsnot specified
Funding Style
seed/start-up fundingchallenge grant/matching incentiveproject-specific/program-restricted supportrestricted-use for athletics
About Big East Conference
Big East Conference Inc. funds athletic programs at member universities through large, program-restricted grants that sit in the multi-million-dollar range. The biggest recent award in the data is $7,372,223 to Villanova University for an athletic program, and several other grants cluster close to that level for schools such as Creighton University, the University of Connecticut, Xavier University, and Providence College. That pattern points to sustained support for the athletic operations of a defined set of colleges and universities rather than broad open-ended philanthropy. The foundation’s grantmaking also shows a repeating relationship with certain recipients across multiple years. Creighton University appears with grants in 2023 and 2024, as do Villanova University, Providence College, Marquette University, Georgetown University, Seton Hall University, St John's University, Butler University, DePaul University, Xavier University, and the University of Connecticut. Several awards are labeled simply “funding for athletic program,” while a smaller number include a “start up challenge grant” designation. The organization’s stated focus areas include college athletics, esports, student development, community engagement, and sports media and broadcasting.
What Big East Conference Funds
College athletics is the clearest theme in the recent grants. Big East Conference Inc. gave $6,406,790 to Creighton University for funding for athletic program and $6,371,089 to the University of Connecticut for the same purpose, showing that athletics is the main channel for its giving. The foundation also supports athletic program growth through challenge grants. Georgetown University received $4,812,382 for funding for athletic program, start up challenge grant, and Butler University received $4,488,321 for the same type of award. Another recurring area is student-facing athletics support. Xavier University received $5,760,711 for funding for athletic program, while St John's University received $4,754,592 for the same purpose, indicating direct support for sports participation and program operations at member schools.
How Big East Conference Gives
Recent awards cluster tightly around a high-dollar band. The typical grant size is $4,594,607 at the 25th percentile, $4,905,106 at the median, and $5,508,980 at the 75th percentile, with many grants landing near five million dollars. The conference appears to fund recurring relationships rather than isolated gifts: multiple schools appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Creighton University, Villanova University, Providence College, Marquette University, Georgetown University, Seton Hall University, St John's University, Butler University, DePaul University, Xavier University, and the University of Connecticut. It is classified as a regular funder, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$64.7M
Total Assets
$39.5M
Total Revenue
$93.8M
Total Expenses
$90.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $4.6M and $5.5M, with a median of $4.9M.
25th Percentile
$4.6M
Median
$4.9M
75th Percentile
$5.5M
Geographic Reach
National11 states funded
About 9% of grants go to recipients in CT.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
VALERIE B ACKERMAN
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