Iowa Athletics Competes For $1 Million in 2026 Abbott, Big Ten's ‘We Give Blood’ Competition

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa Athletics Department is calling all Hawkeyes to donate blood during the Abbott and the Big Ten "We Give Blood" drive, a nationwide competition to turn school pride into life-saving action.

For only the second time in its history, the American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis after donations dropped to a four-year summer low, threatening the availability of lifesaving blood for patients across the country.

“The ‘We Give Blood’ drive is about turning Hawkeye pride into life-saving action,” said Beth Goetz, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair. “This fandom is on full display for the 69,250 fans in Kinnick Stadium this season. If everyone in those stands donated blood just once, they could collectively help save as many as 207,750 lives.”

The competition officially kicks off Aug. 26, but to help address current shortages, Abbott and the Big Ten will honor any blood donations made starting Aug. 12.

Hawkeyes from across the country can get involved as early as today by logging any blood donation made on or after Aug. 12, or by scheduling a blood donation at their nearest blood drive or center.

While any donation made at any blood center in the U.S. between Aug. 12 and Dec. 4 can count towards the competition, donors in the local Iowa City area visit Bigten.org/Abbott/Iowa to find an upcoming blood drive.

Inspiring a new generation of donors
In addition to addressing current shortages, the "We Give Blood" competition also aims to help fuel a new generation of donors. Today, nearly a quarter of all blood donations come from people over 65, many of whom will eventually be unable to donate. With only about 3% of those in the U.S. eligible to donate doing so, the need to recruit new donors is urgent. In the Big Ten community-population alone, its nearly 40 million people are likely eligible but may not yet be giving blood. If 1 in 15 of those people commit to donating blood into the future, that would close the gap left by an aging donor population.

“Every time you donate blood, you could be helping someone recovering from a car accident, a mom facing complications after childbirth, or a patient undergoing cancer treatment,” said Mandy McClenahan at University of Iowa Health Care DeGowin Blood Center. “We’re calling on Hawkeyes across the state and country to donate blood, save lives, and show what Hawkeye Nation is all about.”

‘We Give Blood’ at the University of Iowa
In the competition’s first two years, more than 100,000 total donations helped save as many as 300,000 lives. Each school’s efforts helped secure a sustainable blood supply that the health system will depend on for decades to come: nearly one-third of student donors last year gave blood for the first time, and 96% said they would do it again.

Last year, Iowa students, fans, and alumni from across the country played a significant role in saving lives while competing for their school:

• With 5,131 total donations, the University of Iowa tied with the University of Illinois for fifth place in the “We Give Blood” drive in 2025.
• Iowa received a high percentage of its donations from fans (63%) – one of the highest per school in the competition.
• The state of Iowa made sure to show up for the Hawkeyes – 68% of Iowa’s total donations came from within the state.

How to participate
Students, fans and alumni who donates blood anywhere in the U.S. between Aug. 12 and Dec. 4 can count their donation for Iowa in three easy steps:

1. Donate blood at any blood drive or blood center in the U.S.
2. Take a photo or save your donation confirmation.
3. Log it at BigTen.org/Abbott or text GIVEBLOOD to 222688 (ABBOTT).

Donation totals will be tracked on a live leaderboard at BigTen.org/Abbott throughout the campaign.

People who show up to donate and log their donation made from Aug. 12 to Dec. 4 will be eligible to receive an exclusive, limited-edition Iowa T-shirt while supplies last* and help their school be one step closer to winning $1 million from Abbott to advance student or community health.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and show what it means for the Hawkeyes.

About the ‘We Give Blood’ drive
"We Give Blood" is a nationwide blood donation competition presented by Abbott and the Big Ten Conference, now in its third year. All 18 Big Ten universities compete for the most recorded donations, with the winning school receiving a $1 million grant from Abbott to advance student or community health.