Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC), based in Birmingham, Alabama, is a public charity formed in 1933. Its stated mission is to promote and administer intercollegiate athletic competition among its member nonprofit higher-education institutions in the southeastern United States and to help them maintain athletics programs compatible with high standards of education and competitive sports.
Southeastern Conference at a glance
In short: Southeastern Conference gave $7.8M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $489K), top state Mississippi. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $7,829,591
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $489,349
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $540,013
- Total assets
- $350,986,673
- -27.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (14% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Southeastern Conference
- Contact
Mailing address: 2201 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: (205) 458-3000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Southeastern Conference funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Florida ($556K). Together the top 10 received $5.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $500K–1M range: 70 grants of 74 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The SEC’s stated mission concerns member institutions in the southeastern United States. In its 2025 grantmaking, recipient-state shares were Mississippi 14%, Alabama 14%, Tennessee 14%, Texas 9% and Florida 7%. The listed grants also include recipients in South Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Southeastern Conference open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 16 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6.1M (2020) to $8.1M (2023). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $7.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Ncaa Assistance | $556,147 |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN | Ncaa Assistance | $548,260 |
| University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL | Ncaa Assistance | $547,131 |
| University of Mississippi University, MS | Ncaa Assistance | $544,551 |
| University of South Carolina Columbia, SC | Ncaa Assistance | $543,379 |
| Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS | Ncaa Assistance | $542,634 |
| University of Missouri Columbia, MO | Ncaa Assistance | $540,690 |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | Ncaa Assistance | $540,094 |
| Auburn University Auburn, AL | Ncaa Assistance | $539,931 |
| University of Georgia Athens, GA | Ncaa Assistance | $536,713 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2025 filing reports 16 grants; the 2024 filing reports 16, and the 2023 filing reports 14.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $350,986,673 | $1,108,919,128 | $1,123,407,863 | $7,829,591 | 16 | $16,202,079 |
| 2024 | $482,142,075 | $839,744,771 | $898,754,431 | $8,060,937 | 16 | $20,925,963 |
| 2023 | $541,151,735 | $852,577,281 | $823,147,132 | $8,117,335 | 14 | $14,652,866 |
| 2022 | $511,721,586 | $802,021,967 | $782,080,218 | $8,077,395 | 14 | $1,078,615 |
| 2021 | $491,779,837 | $833,383,274 | $832,670,104 | $7,820,108 | 14 | $1,095,096 |
| 2020 | $141,066,667 | $728,960,893 | $696,609,202 | $6,079,822 | 14 | $3,992,436 |
| 2019 | $108,714,976 | $720,644,189 | $696,664,256 | $7,844,171 | 14 | $6,345,526 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The SEC’s stated mission is to promote and administer intercollegiate athletic competition and assist member institutions in maintaining athletics programs aligned with educational and competitive standards. Its 2023 filing describes distributing revenue connected to regular- and postseason sports, supporting scholar athletes and member institutions through grants and scholarships, and covering postseason tournament, championship and game-management expenses. The filing also says endowment funds are used for grants and scholarships, television implementation, championship game tickets, member-university academic endeavors, and opportunities for ethnic minorities and women.
The 2025 grants listed in the filing are designated for “NCAA assistance” and go to universities and related organizations. Grantee missions vary: for example, the University of Mississippi describes its work as acquiring, constructing, maintaining and improving facilities for university use. Mississippi State University describes encouraging new technologies and research through work with business, industry and the university. The University of South Carolina describes supporting research into business and economic problems and conducting management-development conferences. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the SEC’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the SEC reported 16 grants totaling $7,829,591. Grant amounts ranged from $135,486 to $556,147, with a median of $540,012. The largest reported grants included:
Each of these grants is described in the filing as “NCAA assistance.” The SEC website also describes a faculty travel initiative that funds faculty from each SEC institution to visit a peer campus to exchange ideas, explore joint research proposals, give lectures or performances, and build research networks. Its 2023 announcement of support through the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers platform says the SEC planned to support teachers that season.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists:
- Dr. Donde Plowman — President and Director
- Dr. Mun Choi — Vice President and Director
- Paul Batista — Secretary
- Dr. Peter Mohler — Director
- Dr. Charles Robinson — Director
- Dr. Christopher Roberts — Director
- Dr. Kent Fuchs — Director
- Jere W. Morehead — Director
- Dr. Eli Capilouto — Director
- Dr. William Tate IV — Director
Southeastern Conference is led by Donde Plowman, President & Director Univ. of Tn since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 6 of 24 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donde Plowman
President & Director Univ. of Tn
Director → President & Director Univ. of Tn, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eli Capilouto
Director
President & Director → Director Univ. of Ky, 2022
Director Univ. of Ky → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jere W. Morehead
Director
President & Director Univ. of Geor → President & Director Univ. of Ge, 2023
President & Director Univ. of Ge → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kent Fuchs
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Keenum
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Diermeier
Director Vanderbilt Univ.
Director → Director Vanderbilt Univ., 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Glenn Boyce
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mun Choi
Vice President & Director
Director → Vice President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Robinson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Roberts
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Amiridis
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Tate IV
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gen Ret Mark Welsh
Director Texas A & M Univ.
Director → Director Texas A & M Univ., 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jay Hartzell
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Harroz Jr.
Director Univ of Oklahoma
Director → Director Univ of Oklahoma, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Mohler
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Hussey
Deputy Commissioner
Associate Commissioner → Deputy Commissioner, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$274K (2019) → $788K (2025)
Greg Sankey
Commissioner
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$2.5M (2019) → $4.8M (2025)
Mark Womack
Executive Associate Commissio
Executive Associate Commissioner → Executive Associate Commissio, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$433K (2019) → $541K (2025)
Tiffany Daniels
Associate Commissioner
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$283K (2019) → $536K (2025)
William King
Associate Commissioner
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$650K (2019) → $785K (2025)
John McDaid
Corrdinator of Football of
Corrdinator of Football Officials → Corrdinator of Football of, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$365K (2021) → $493K (2025)
Stuart Bell
Director - Former
Director → Vice President & Director, 2022
Vice President & Director → Director - Former, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Batista
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Ron J. Rychlak (2019–2024) — Secretary & Executive Committee
- Former: Ben Sasse (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Kathy Banks (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Harris Pastides (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Jay Gogue (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Joe Steinmetz (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Young (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Robert Caslen (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Tom Galligan (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Bill Tate (2021) — Director
- Former: Alexander Cartwright (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: F. King Alexander (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Herb Vincent (2019–2020) — Associate Commissioner
- Former: Jeffrey Vitter (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Susan Wente (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Nicholas S. Zeppos (2019) — Director
- Former: Steven Leath (2019) — Director
- Former: Wayne Davis (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $4.8M, to Mr Greg Sankey (Commissioner). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Southeastern Conference
How much does Southeastern Conference give each year?
Southeastern Conference gave $7.8M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $8.1M across 16 grants.
What is Southeastern Conference's typical grant size?
Southeastern Conference's median grant in 2025 was $540,013, and its average grant was $489,349, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Southeastern Conference give grants?
Southeastern Conference's top state is Mississippi, with 14% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Alabama (14%) and Tennessee (14%).
Does Southeastern Conference give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Southeastern Conference's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Ncaa Assistance" (16 grants).
Who are Southeastern Conference's largest grantees?
Southeastern Conference's largest 2025 grantees include University of Florida ($556,147), University of Tennessee ($548,260) and University of Alabama ($547,131), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Southeastern Conference?
Southeastern Conference reported $351.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.1B.
What does Southeastern Conference fund?
The SEC’s stated mission is to promote and administer intercollegiate athletic competition and assist member institutions in maintaining athletics programs aligned with educational and competitive standards. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Southeastern Conference?
Southeastern Conference has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Southeastern Conference's EIN?
Southeastern Conference's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 63-0377461. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 5, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Southeastern Conference's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Southeastern Conference funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/southeastern-conference-morg_d16611239cb94a739c7fe7d598f72dae
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_630377461_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Southeastern Conference funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/southeastern-conference-morg_d16611239cb94a739c7fe7d598f72dae},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Southeastern Conference's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Southeastern Conference down — hundreds of funders to go?