B1G Blood Drive: How to Get a Free MSU T-Shirt

See how you can help save some lives and also get a free MSU shirt out of it, as well.

Michigan State "Go Green, Give Blood" t-shirt | Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten, Michigan State, and the conference's 17 other institutions are having a friendly competition to see which fanbase will donate the most blood. A winning school will be announced at the Big Ten Championship Game for football on Dec. 6, with that university set to receive $1 million "for student or community health."

As of Monday night, according to the Big Ten's leaderboard, MSU is in seventh at 3,350 blood donors. Wisconsin holds a slim lead for first, with 11,577. Nebraska is in second at 11,545.

People have until Dec. 5 to donate blood if they wish to participate in the Big Ten's competition, which is in partnership with pharmaceutical company Abbott and is meant to "tackle the national shortage" of blood.

How to Receive Your Free T-Shirt

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans On SI

The first step is pretty simple: give blood. It doesn't necessarily have to be at any specific place, but you can search up different places where you can donate blood RIGHT HERE.

Secondly, you have to either upload proof of that donation or text DONATE to 222688 (ABBOTT). That proof can be a photo of yourself immediately after donating, or a digital form or email from the blood center. The website also asks not to include any personal health data or information within the upload.

Following that, the Big Ten says to "watch your inbox like it's game day" and that it'll send an email with instructions on how to claim the free t-shirt (pictured above for MSU fans) from Homefield.

Once all the necessary information is filled out, the t-shirt can be delivered to your shipping address. Once it arrives, it's free for one to enjoy as they please.

Why the Blood Drive is Necessary

Aug 9, 2025; A detail view of a logo for the Big Ten Conference is seen during the Hawkeyes Kids Day NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress for the Des Moines Register | Joseph Cress/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's already a real shortage of blood that is available for use at hospitals around the United States. Young people, especially, are not donating enough, and a lot of hospitals only have enough blood to last them two days, according to the Big Ten's website. Blood also only has a shelf life of 42 days, meaning that it is in constant demand and that it is essentially never a bad time to donate.

Also, according to the Big Ten, one blood donation could potentially save up to three lives. Assuming that, the conference claims that the ongoing friendly competition has already saved nearly 200,000 lives. Michigan State's donations have been enough to save around 10,000 people.

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on the Big Ten's blood drive when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.