Poster for the 2026 We Give Blood campaign. Credit: Courtesy of Impact Life.
Across the Big Ten, Ohio State and 17 other schools compete on the field, court and rink for championships.
But another conference-wide competition is underway: this one measured in pints rather than points.
All 18 Big Ten schools are competing in the 2026 We Give Blood competition, a partnership between Abbott Laboratories, a global health care and medical device company, and the conference. The school with the most donations will receive a $1 million grant from Abbott to support student or community health initiatives.
The competition began Aug. 12 and runs through Dec. 4, with the winner set to be announced Dec. 5 at the Big Ten Football Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The campaign comes amid a national shortage in blood donations.?
“Right now, the United States is facing the worst blood shortage in a decade,” Shohaan Singh, Ohio State’s partnership representative for the We Give Blood campaign, said.
The American Red Cross declared its second-ever national blood supply crisis July 27 after donations fell to a four-year summer low. The organization also reported having less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood at that time.
For Ohio State, the competition against fellow Big Ten schools, including its biggest rival Michigan, offers an opportunity to turn the loyalty that typically surrounds Buckeye athletics into an incentive to donate blood.
“I mean, at the end of the day, you’re fighting for your school,” Singh said. “There’s a little bit of financial incentive as well involved, but also the bragging rights of? ‘We want to beat That Team Up North.’”
Last year, Ohio State finished in fourth place behind Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan.?
At the time of publication, Ohio State sits third in the Big Ten with 5,789 donors, trailing Wisconsin’s 11,252 and Nebraska’s 9,051. The Buckeyes currently lead Michigan, which sits fourth with 4,974 donors.
Across the conference, 59,163 people have donated throughout the campaign, with the leaderboard estimating 177,489 lives saved. Ohio State accounts for approximately 17,367 of those lives saved, according to the Big Ten Conference Abbott battle website.
Singh explained that blood donors have historically tended to be older, making college students an important group for the campaign to reach. By incorporating the competition between Big Ten schools, organizers hope students will be encouraged by their school pride to participate in donating blood.
“We wanted to get college students involved because if they can put a little bit of passion of fighting for their school pride, it might incite more people to donate, especially at a younger age,” Singh said.
Ohio State has promoted the competition through blood drives at locations across campus, including residence halls and Ohio Stadium, while providing students with multiple opportunities to participate.
Ohio State’s athletic director Ross Bjork said in an email that although Ohio State wants to win the competition, helping those in need remains the most important part of the campaign.
“We love competition at Ohio State and excellence is part of our DNA in everything that we do,” Bjork said. “So, while we want to win the competition during the We Give Blood drive, giving back and helping those in need is the most important element of this campaign.”
Eligible participants can donate at any blood center or mobile blood drive in the United States during the competition.
After donating, participants must submit proof of their donation through the We Give Blood website or text GIVEBLOOD to 222688 and follow the prompts. Donors then select which Big Ten school they want to count their donation toward. Proof can include a photo or document showing that the individual donated but should not contain personal health information.?
Participants who submit their donation also receive a free We Give Blood t-shirt specific to their school.
Singh said completing the submission process is important because donations are not automatically added to Ohio State’s total.
“All [donors] have to do is go to the website, take a picture, and show that you’ve donated blood, and then count it toward Ohio State,” Singh said. “It counts toward our team total.”
Bjork said the competition also provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the blood shortage.
“We challenge all Buckeyes to do what they can and give blood during this crucial time,” Bjork said in the email.
While schools can win $1 million through the competition, the larger purpose is to create a community willing to donate for people they may never meet.
“We want to create this community of, ‘Hey, we are there to support other people that we might not even know,’” Singh said. “I might not know their name, but I know I’m saving those lives that might be having to use that blood to stay alive.”
