2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game and Partners Tackle Community Initiatives in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – As part of the celebration surrounding the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game, the Big Ten Conference is proud to support a variety of charitable initiatives to create a positive and lasting impact for the Indianapolis community. This year’s title game matches the top two teams in college football, No. 1 Ohio State versus No. 2 Indiana, at 8pm ET on Saturday, December 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium and broadcast on FOX.
The numerous charitable partners joining the Big Ten include Abbott, College Football Playoff Foundation, Indiana Sports Corp, Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation, School Specialty and USA Football. Organizations supported this week include Boys & Girls Club of America, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent, James Lowell Elementary School #51 and Special Olympics.
Community initiatives this week include:
The “We Give Blood Drive"
Now in its second season, Abbott and the Big Ten Conference activated the passion and generosity of Big Ten communities nationwide with the “We Give Blood Drive”. The competition across all 18 Big Ten schools helped address a nationwide blood shortage, inspiring more than 80,000 donations that will save more than 240,000 lives. The Big Ten school with the most blood donations by end of day Friday will accept the “We Give Blood Drive" trophy during the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game on Saturday night, as well as $1 million from Abbott to advance student or community health.
Elementary School Renovation
The Big Ten Conference, College Football Playoff Foundation, Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation, Indiana Sports Corp and School Specialty worked together to renovate the media center and teacher’s lounge at James Russell Lowell Elementary School #51 in Indianapolis. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, James Lowell principal Christine Rembert and CFP Foundation’s Margaret Frank were joined at the school Thursday morning by students and staff to unveil and celebrate the new spaces. The Big Ten Conference also will host James Lowell Elementary School administrators and key district personnel at the 2025 Discover Big Ten Conference Football Championship Game on Saturday night.
In August of this year, the Big Ten announced it would provide a full year of support to the school. This has included renovation of an outdoor basketball/pickleball court open to the neighborhood on nights and weekends, and pairing classrooms with Big Ten student-athletes and administrators across the nation. James Lowell students had the chance to attend the 2025 Big Ten Field Hockey Championship in Bloomington in October, and will have additional enrichment opportunities in and around Indianapolis at the 2026 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships, 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, and 2026 Big Ten Rowing Championships.
Classroom Resource Grants for Teachers
Enjoying the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game this Saturday inside Lucas Oil Stadium are 15 educators from across the state of Indiana. In collaboration with the College Football Playoff Foundation, Big Ten Conference and Indiana Sports Corp, each of the 15 teachers received a grant to support classroom projects and resources at their school. For a total of $40,000, this grant aims to support and celebrate innovative teaching and learning. Educating children from kindergarten through seventh grade, the teachers hail from: Battle Ground, Bloomington, Dubois County, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Rossville.
Flag Football Clinic for Special Olympics and Boys & Girls Club of America
On Friday from 3-4pm ET, more than 350 students representing the Special Olympics and Boys & Girls Club of America will learn flag football thanks to the Big Ten Conference, USA Football and Indiana Sports Corp. Students will be instructed on the basics of the sport, receive four complimentary Fan Fest tickets, a football, and a clinic t-shirt.
Kid Captains from Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent
Two patients from Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent, Emerson (13) and Mikal (15), have been selected as the Honorary Kid Captains for the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game. Chosen by the Children’s Hospital’s care team to serve as honorary captains, each will receive special recognition on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Emerson has a rare disorder known as brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis) and has overcome 100+ broken bones. His surgeries have reduced the frequency and severity of bone fractures and has improved his overall quality of life. Today, Emerson enjoys coding and computer programming.
Mikal spent several months in the pediatric ICU following a car crash which resulted in severe head trauma and neuro-storming. Mikal had a bolt placed to measure the pressure on his brain, was placed on breathing support and had a feeding tube. Thanks to his hard work and many months of ongoing rehab therapy, Mikal is rebuilding his strength to walk and talk. He looks forward to returning to a full day of school with his friends and supporting his football team.