Northwestern Mutual is dedicated to helping others achieve their full potential. It is in that spirit that we are proud to partner with the NCAA®. We believe that through preparation, hard work and embracing the spirit of competition, everyone can achieve that potential – in life and on the field of sports.
Our ongoing support for higher education aligns well with the NCAA mission to focus on the development of student-athletes. Northwestern Mutual has donated more than $11 million to higher education institutions through its matching gifts program over the past five years.
NCAA News
For 75 years the NCAA has brought us March Madness. During what may be the most exciting three weeks of sports every year, we have seen buzzer beaters, improbable heroes, Cinderella stories and more. We have witnessed the results of planning, preparation, practice, dedication and discipline of both student-athletes and their coaches.
Northwestern Mutual is proud to announce our exclusive sponsorship of the March 11 issue of Sports Illustrated. This commemorative issue, 
available to subscribers and on newsstands nationwide, celebrates some of the most memorable moments of the 75 years of March Madness. It includes a custom series presented by Northwestern Mutual that focuses on individuals who have personally experienced the benefits of planning as a key success measure – one that translates from the court to life after basketball. Read their stories:
Ulice Payne: 1977 – Marquette University
Matt Howard: 2010 and 2011 – Butler University
Tommy Kearns: 1957 – University of North Carolina
Thurl Bailey: 1983 – North Carolina State University
Northwestern Mutual donated more than $200,000 toward the fight against pediatric cancer in Kentucky. This follows a week-long online auction of commemorative pieces of the floor on which the University of Kentucky (UK) basketball team won its eighth national championship last spring.
The top 300 bidders pledged a total of $201,803 on three-hundred 12”x18” pieces of the floor, each autographed by UK coach John Calipari. The proceeds will be divided equally between Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville and Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington.
Northwestern Mutual, a corporate partner of the NCAA®, purchased the floor following the men’s basketball tournament at the Superdome in New Orleans. The floor was obtained with the intent to create philanthropic opportunities in local communities that Northwestern Mutual serves.
Northwestern Mutual salutes the ideals of Title IX and how it opened the doors for female NCAA student-athletes that are many of today’s business and community leaders.
The NCAA in conjunction with ESPN and Creative Street Entertainment recently aired "Sporting Chance." This documentary, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual, recognized individuals who helped shape this ground-breaking equity law.
NCAA, March Madness, Final Four and Selection Sunday are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.