The Big Ten Conference Inc
The Big Ten Conference Inc is a public charity based in Rosemont, Illinois. Founded in 1896, the conference describes itself as an association of universities whose shared mission includes research, teaching, and public service, with policies that prioritize academics in student-athletes’ lives.
The Big Ten Conference Inc at a glance
In short: The Big Ten Conference Inc gave $1.4B across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $76.3M), top state Indiana. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,372,758,005
- +55.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +28.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $76,264,334
- +20.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $78,274,152
- Total assets
- $280,734,650
- -3.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (4 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (12% 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 The Big Ten Conference Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 5440 Park Place, Rosemont, IL 60018
Phone: (847) 696-1010
Website: https://bigten.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Big Ten Conference Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ohio State University ($91.6M). Together the top 10 received $814.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was $5M or more: 74 grants of 74 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing’s grant-dollar distribution by recipient state was Indiana 12%, Michigan 11%, Illinois 11%, California 11%, and Ohio 7%. The listed recipients also included institutions in Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Big Ten Conference Inc open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 18 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $62M; repeat grants $80M. How we count
Medians: $62M first-time, $79M repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $670.9M (2021) to $1.4B (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $1.4B.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State University Columbus, OH | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $91,552,082 |
| Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $88,921,162 |
| Indiana University Bloomington, IN | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $81,009,897 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $79,876,965 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $79,426,201 |
| University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $79,199,226 |
| University of Illinois Champaign, IL | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $79,100,242 |
| University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $79,071,495 |
| Rutgers the State Univ of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $78,490,746 |
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | To Support the Missions of Member Institutions | $78,057,558 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $280,734,650 | $1,468,470,129 | $1,453,340,493 | $1,372,758,005 | 18 | $38,771,434 |
| 2024 | $292,276,335 | $928,147,866 | $942,180,253 | $882,791,567 | 14 | $58,046,285 |
| 2023 | $352,880,095 | $879,863,132 | $897,426,388 | $843,959,194 | 14 | $32,580,075 |
| 2022 | $336,066,093 | $845,640,731 | $851,246,629 | $812,503,337 | 14 | $24,962,124 |
| 2021 | $378,941,858 | $679,838,570 | $706,451,321 | $670,938,344 | 14 | $63,563,656 |
| 2020 | $328,709,453 | $768,930,854 | $727,411,263 | $689,485,245 | 14 | $48,675,521 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated in the organization’s 2024 filing is to maintain “shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes’ lives.” The conference also describes its shared university mission as encompassing research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching, and public service.
The filing describes a revenue-distribution program for member schools’ athletic departments. The 2025 grants listed in the filing state that their purpose is to support the missions of member institutions. Among the grantees described in their own words, Northwestern University says it is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research, and students’ personal and intellectual growth in a diverse academic community. The University of Michigan describes its mission as representing and advocating for member physicians, and Michigan State University describes its mission as helping students obtain college scholarships.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the conference reported 18 grants totaling $1,372,758,005. Grant amounts ranged from $46,708,168 to $91,552,082, with a median of $78,274,152. The listed grants generally state that they support the missions of member institutions.
The largest reported grants included $91,552,082 to Ohio State University, $88,921,162 to Pennsylvania State University, $81,009,897 to Indiana University, $79,876,965 to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and $79,426,201 to the University of Michigan. Other reported recipients included the University of Minnesota ($79,199,226), University of Illinois ($79,100,242), University of Iowa ($79,071,495), Rutgers University ($78,490,746), University of Southern California ($78,057,558), Michigan State University ($77,866,363), and the University of Wisconsin ($77,779,047). Northwestern University received $77,510,197 in 2025.
The conference’s website also reports community grants connected to its 2026 men’s basketball tournament in Chicago: a $50,000 grant to Edmund Burke Elementary School and $5,000 School Improvement Grants to each of three Chicago schools, plus $1,000 for a teacher at each school.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ana Mari Cauce, Rebecca Cunningham, Kevin Guskiewicz, John Scholz, Jeffrey Gold, Domenico Grasso, Julio Frenk, Darnell Hunt, and Carol Folt as directors. It lists Chris Kabourek as a director from January 1 through June 30, 2024.
The Big Ten Conference Inc is led by Darryll Pines, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2021); 10 of 33 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Darryll Pines
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert J. Jones Jr.
Director
Director → Chair, 2023
Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Holloway
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Wilson
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pamela Whitten
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Mnookin
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Scholz
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Schill
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mung Chiang
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Neeli Bendapudi
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Santa Ono
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Teresa Woodruff
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Ettinger
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ted Carter
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ana Mari Cauce
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Folt
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Kabourek
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darnell Hunt
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Domenico Grasso
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Gold
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julio Frenk
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Guskiewicz
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Cunningham
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chad Hawley
Secretary
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$212K (2020) → $349K (2025)
Diane Dietz
Deputy Commissioner
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$380K (2020) → $402K (2025)
James E. Delany
Former Commissioner
Commissioner → Former Commissioner, 2021
On filings since 2020
$5.6M (2020) → $3M (2025)
Laura Anderson
CFO & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$215K (2022) → $418K (2025)
Omar Brown
Senior Vice President, Community & Impact
Vice President, People & Culture Officer → Senior Vice President, Community & Impact, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$239K (2022) → $273K (2025)
Anil Gollahalli
General Counsel
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$347K (2023) → $521K (2025)
Kerry Kenny
Chief Operating Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$274K (2023) → $627K (2025)
Anthony Petitti
Commissioner
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$4.5M (2025)
Kyle Borsheim
Vice President, Finance & Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$180K (2025)
Rebecca Pany
Senior Vice President & Sports Administration
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$273K (2025)
Former officers (41)
- Former: Joan TA Gabel (2020–2024) — Former Director · Filing note: Ended 6923
- Former: Kevin Warren (2020–2024) — Former Commissioner · Filing note: Ended 41423
- Former: Kristina Johnson (2021–2024) — Former Director · Filing note: Ended 111322
- Former: Mitch Daniels (2021–2024) — Director · Filing note: Ended 11/2023
- Former: Ronald Green (2021–2024) — Former Director · Filing note: Ended 63023
- Former: Diana Sabau (2022–2024) — Deputy Commissioner & Chief Sports Officer · Filing note: Ended 8123
- Former: Nathaniel Schnader (2024) — Chief Information Officer · Filing note: Ended 63024
- Former: Peter Mohler (2024) — Director · Filing note: Ended 123123
- Former: Tony Petitti Start (2024) — Commissioner
- Former: Eric J Barron (2020–2023) — Former Director
- Former: Mark S Schlissel (2020–2023) — Former Director
- Former: Morton O Schapiro (2020–2023) — Chair
- Former: Rebecca M Blank (2020–2023) — Former Director
- Former: Samuel Stanley (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Nathaniel Schander (2022–2023) — Chief Information Officer
- Former: Jeff Ettinger (2023) — Director
- Former: Jonathan Schwartz (2023) — Senior Vice President & Communications
- Former: Mary Sue Coleman (2023) — Director
- Former: Tony Petitti (2023) — Commissioner
- Former: Bruce Harreld (2020–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Julie Suderman (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Lou Anna K Simon (2020–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Michael A McRobbie (2020–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Robert L Barchi (2020–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Wallace D Loh (2020–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Adam Neuman (2022) — Chief of Staff, Strat. & Ops.
- Former: Erica McKinley (2022) — General Counsel
- Former: Eric W Kaler (2020–2021) — Former Director
- Former: Michael V Drake (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Rick Boyages (2020–2021) — Associate Commissioner & Mens Basketball
- Former: Wendy Fallen (2020–2021) — Associate Commissioner & Sports Administrator
- Former: Brad Traviolia (2021) — Former COO
- Former: Jessica Palermo (2021) — Chief of Staff
- Former: Tshneka Tate (2021) — General Counsel
- Former: Bradford S Traviolia (2020) — COO
- Former: John Engler (2020) — Former Director
- Former: Mark Rudner (2020) — Associate Commissioner & Tv Administrator
- Former: Michael McComiskey (2020) — Associate Commissioner & Technology
- Former: Mitchell E Daniels (2020) — Director
- Former: Ronnie D Green (2020) — Director
- Former: Satish Upda (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $4.5M, to Anthony Petitti (Commissioner). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Big Ten Conference Inc
How much does The Big Ten Conference Inc give each year?
The Big Ten Conference Inc gave $1.4B across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $882.8M across 14 grants.
What is The Big Ten Conference Inc's typical grant size?
The Big Ten Conference Inc's median grant in 2025 was $78,274,152, and its average grant was $76,264,334, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Big Ten Conference Inc that year got $62M on average.
Where does The Big Ten Conference Inc give grants?
The Big Ten Conference Inc's top state is Indiana, with 12% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Michigan (11%) and Illinois (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Big Ten Conference Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Big Ten Conference Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Missions of Member Institutions" (18 grants).
Who are The Big Ten Conference Inc's largest grantees?
The Big Ten Conference Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Ohio State University ($91,552,082), Pennsylvania State University ($88,921,162) and Indiana University ($81,009,897), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Big Ten Conference Inc?
The Big Ten Conference Inc reported $280.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.5B.
What does The Big Ten Conference Inc fund?
The mission stated in the organization’s 2024 filing is to maintain “shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes’ lives.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Big Ten Conference Inc?
The Big Ten Conference Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check bigten.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Big Ten Conference Inc's EIN?
The Big Ten Conference Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3640583. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Big Ten Conference Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Big Ten Conference Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-big-ten-conference-inc-morg_565218138e6a462eb24f096e6782837d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363640583_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Big Ten Conference Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-big-ten-conference-inc-morg_565218138e6a462eb24f096e6782837d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 The Big Ten Conference Inc'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.
The Big Ten Conference Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?