The NCAA directs the vast majority of its philanthropic dollars to collegiate athletic conferences and conference-level programs, primarily funding scholarships and grant distributions that support student‑athletes and conference operations. Its giving is nationwide and institutionally focused — not individual nonprofits — emphasizing sustained, institutional support for Division I (and other) conferences and their scholarship programs. The foundation’s grants consistently flow to conference partners with similar-sized, multi‑installment awards rather than a wide array of small community groups.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association directs its philanthropy almost entirely to collegiate athletic conferences, with recurring awards that support scholarships, grants, and conference-level operations. The largest recent grants in the record went to the Big Ten Conference, including $66,175,203 in 2024 and $65,579,122 in 2025, showing the scale of its institutional funding. Similar multi-year awards appear across other major conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference, indicating a pattern of sustained support rather than one-time project funding. Its grantmaking is built around conference partners rather than individual nonprofits. Recent awards also reach the Big 12 Conference and the Big East Conference, with purposes listed as grants/scholarships or scholarships/grants. The emphasis stays on student-athlete support and conference administration, and the recent record shows repeated funding to the same organizations across multiple years. That recurring structure is a defining feature of the association’s giving and helps explain why the grants are large, concentrated, and institutionally targeted.
A central theme in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s grantmaking is scholarship support for conference members. It gave $66,175,203 to the Big Ten Conference in 2024 for grants/scholarships, and the same conference received another $65,579,122 in 2025. Conference operations and grant distributions are another consistent use of funds. The Atlantic Coast Conference received $62,028,589 in 2025 for scholarships/grants, while the Southeastern Conference received $53,273,099 in 2025 for grants/scholarships. The record also shows support for multi-conference administration through major conference partners. The Big 12 Conference received $38,393,021 in 2025 for grants/scholarships, and the Big East Conference received $25,047,012 in 2025 for grants/scholarships. These awards point to a model centered on institutional conference funding rather than community-based programming.
Grant size is heavily weighted toward large institutional awards: the typical grant size is $16,432 at the 25th percentile, $60,651 at the median, and $446,348 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same conference recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests an ongoing funding relationship rather than isolated grants. The organization is a regular funder and does not fund individuals. Its grants are not program-related investments, and the pattern is consistent with operating and scholarship support delivered through conference-level institutions.
$705.7M
$1.1B
$1.3B
$3.9B
Most grants fall between $16K and $446K, with a median of $61K.
25th Percentile
$16K
Median
$61K
75th Percentile
$446K
About 3% of grants go to recipients in IN.
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Highly concentrated, large-dollar grants delivered repeatedly to a small set of institutional grantees (conference organizations). Most top recipients receive multiple, similarly sized awards (three grants each), indicating predictable, recurring funding rather than one‑off or widely distributed small grants.
Notable grantees: Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Southeastern Conference (SEC), Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference
Grantmaking is national, with all recorded recipient-country grants going to the US. The top state by grant count is Indiana, though the foundation’s HQ is in Indianapolis. Recent awards also land in Illinois, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and California through conference offices in Park Ridge, Greensboro, Birmingham, Irving, and San Francisco. That spread reflects a nationwide conference-based model rather than a local operating footprint.
It funds collegiate athletic conferences and conference-level programs. The recent record shows repeated grants to organizations such as the Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference, Big 12 Conference, Big East Conference, American Athletic Conference, West Coast Conference, Mountain West Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, and Summit League.
No. Its funding is directed to organizations and conference-level programs, with the grant record showing scholarship and grant distributions through collegiate athletic conferences rather than direct awards to individual people.
The typical grant size is $16,432 at the 25th percentile, $60,651 at the median, and $446,348 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger conference awards in the tens of millions, reflecting a wide spread between smaller and flagship institutional grants.
It is recurring. The same conference partners appear in multiple years, including the Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference, Big 12 Conference, Big East Conference, American Athletic Conference, West Coast Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, and Summit League, each receiving awards across more than one year in the recent record.
The giving is national, and all recorded recipient-country grants in the data are in the US. By state count, Indiana receives the most grants, while recent conference recipients are also located in Illinois, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, California, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Colorado.
Charlie Baker
President
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG TEN CONFERENCE | PARK RIDGE, IL | $65,579,122 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE | GREENSBORO, NC | $62,028,589 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $53,273,099 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| BIG 12 CONFERENCE | IRVING, TX | $38,393,021 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| BIG EAST CONFERENCE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,047,012 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| PAC-12 CONFERENCE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $24,984,840 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE | PROVIDENCE, RI | $18,931,084 | 2025 | Grants |
| MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $13,390,209 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| WEST COAST CONFERENCE | SAN BRUNO, CA | $13,244,880 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE | NEWPORT NEWS, VA | $12,269,331 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE | FRISCO, TX | $10,977,313 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,630,074 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,592,674 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| SUN BELT CONFERENCE | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $10,449,744 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| SUMMIT LEAGUE (THE) | ELMHURST, IL | $10,412,386 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| COASTAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION | RICHMOND, VA | $9,414,466 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| CONFERENCE USA | HATTIESBURG, MS | $9,211,030 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $8,697,531 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE | EDISON, NY | $8,173,684 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE | BRENTWOOD, TN | $7,580,681 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| PATRIOT LEAGUE | CENTER VALLEY, PA | $7,501,538 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| NORTHEAST CONFERENCE | BRIDGEWATER, NJ | $7,457,212 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| SOUTHERN CONFERENCE | SPARTANBURG, SC | $7,247,205 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | PRINCETON, NJ | $7,236,999 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE | MACON, GA | $7,112,936 | 2025 | Grants |
| HORIZON LEAGUE | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $7,038,787 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| BIG WEST CONFERENCE | IRVINE, CA | $6,844,646 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $6,831,306 | 2025 | Grants |
| WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $6,629,589 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| BIG SKY CONFERENCE | OGDEN, UT | $6,555,225 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,855,604 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE | NORFOLK, VA | $5,680,220 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $2,172,033 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | BROOKLYN, NY | $1,997,637 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $1,808,999 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY | TEMPE, AZ | $1,726,402 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,615,643 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT | STORRS, CT | $1,511,428 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,487,948 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY | FAIRFIELD, CT | $1,417,644 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA | NORMAN, OK | $1,387,743 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE | NEWARK, DE | $1,301,176 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $1,292,547 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY | PROVO, UT | $1,284,257 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - AUSTIN | AUSTIN, TX | $1,263,281 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $1,252,438 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - DAVIS | DAVIS, CA | $1,225,980 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY | FORT WORTH, TX | $1,218,741 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| LIBERTY UNIVERSITY | LYNCHBURG, VA | $1,205,781 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (THE) | TUCSON, AZ | $1,176,116 | 2025 | Grants/Scholarships |
BIG TEN CONFERENCE
$65,579,122Grants/Scholarships
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
$62,028,589Grants/Scholarships
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
$53,273,099Grants/Scholarships
BIG 12 CONFERENCE
$38,393,021Grants/Scholarships
BIG EAST CONFERENCE
$25,047,012Grants/Scholarships
PAC-12 CONFERENCE
$24,984,840Grants/Scholarships
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
$18,931,084Grants
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
$13,390,209Grants/Scholarships
WEST COAST CONFERENCE
$13,244,880Grants/Scholarships
ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE
$12,269,331Grants/Scholarships
SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
$10,977,313Grants/Scholarships
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
$10,630,074Grants/Scholarships
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
$10,592,674Grants/Scholarships
SUN BELT CONFERENCE
$10,449,744Grants/Scholarships
SUMMIT LEAGUE (THE)
$10,412,386Grants/Scholarships
COASTAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
$9,414,466Grants/Scholarships
CONFERENCE USA
$9,211,030Grants/Scholarships
SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
$8,697,531Grants/Scholarships
METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
$8,173,684Grants/Scholarships
OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
$7,580,681Grants/Scholarships
PATRIOT LEAGUE
$7,501,538Grants/Scholarships
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
$7,457,212Grants/Scholarships
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
$7,247,205Grants/Scholarships
TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
$7,236,999Grants/Scholarships
ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE
$7,112,936Grants
HORIZON LEAGUE
$7,038,787Grants/Scholarships
BIG WEST CONFERENCE
$6,844,646Grants/Scholarships
AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE
$6,831,306Grants
WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
$6,629,589Grants/Scholarships
BIG SKY CONFERENCE
$6,555,225Grants/Scholarships
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
$5,855,604Grants/Scholarships
MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
$5,680,220Grants/Scholarships
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$2,172,033Grants/Scholarships
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
$1,997,637Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY
$1,808,999Grants/Scholarships
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
$1,726,402Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - LOS ANGELES
$1,615,643Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
$1,511,428Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
$1,487,948Grants/Scholarships
SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY
$1,417,644Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
$1,387,743Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
$1,301,176Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$1,292,547Grants/Scholarships
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
$1,284,257Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - AUSTIN
$1,263,281Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
$1,252,438Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - DAVIS
$1,225,980Grants/Scholarships
TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
$1,218,741Grants/Scholarships
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
$1,205,781Grants/Scholarships
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (THE)
$1,176,116Grants/Scholarships