UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — [Aug. 26, 2026] — Penn State Athletics is calling all Nittany Lions 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.
- The Nittany Lions joins all 18 Big Ten schools competing in this year’s "We Give Blood" drive, a nationwide competition between all 18 Big Ten schools to drive the most blood donations and win a $1 million grant from global healthcare company Abbott.
- 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.
- Penn State students, alumni and fans can now log blood donations at BigTen.org/Abbott or by texting GIVEBLOOD to 222688 (ABBOTT) to count for Penn State from now through Dec. 4.
- Donations made on or after August 12 will count toward the competition, which officially kicks off today.
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. This is why Abbott, the Big Ten Conference and the Penn State University, along with multimedia rightsholders Playfly Sports and Penn State Sports Enterprises, are calling on students, fans and alumni to donate blood and save lives through the We Give Blood drive.
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 August 12. Nittany Lions from across the country can get involved as early as today by logging any blood donation made on or after August 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 August 12 and Dec. 4 can count towards the competition, donors at University Park the local area can attend go to redcrossblood.org and enter the Sponsor code PSU to find blood drives occurring on campus.
“The ‘We Give Blood’ drive is about turning Penn State pride into life-saving action,” said Adam Miller, Penn State Deputy Athletics Director. “With more than 100,000 fans filling Beaver Stadium, our community represents one of the most powerful forces in college athletics. If each of those fans gave blood just once, we could help save more than three times as many lives, demonstrating how Nittany Nation can make a meaningful impact far beyond the field.”
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.
‘We Give Blood’ at Penn State
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, Penn State students, fans, and alumni from across the country played a significant role in saving lives while competing for their school:
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 Penn State in three easy steps:
- Donate blood at any blood drive or blood center in the U.S.
- Take a photo or save your donation confirmation.
- 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 Penn State 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.
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. In its first two years, the campaign generated more than 100,000 donations collectively and helped save as many as 300,000 lives.
About Penn State Athletics
Under the leadership of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft, Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring nearly 800 student-athletes across 31 varsity programs (16 men's, 15 women's). The Nittany Lions' 31 programs are tied for the fourth-highest number of sports sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.
Penn State student-athletes earned a record-tying 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 13 programs earned perfect 100% ratings in the 2025 report. This is the ninth consecutive year the Nittany Lions have posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom. Penn State is one of only eight schools that have won at least 10 NCAA Championships since the 2015-16 academic year and earned at least a 90 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the 2025 NCAA report (Florida, North Carolina, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, Virginia).
* Any potential incentives related to this program are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash. T-shirts are available while supplies last. For terms and conditions, visit BigTen.org/Abbott.