Chip and Joanna Gaines just made a big donation to this college sports program

It’s no secret that Chip and Joanna Gaines are big supporters of their alma mater, Baylor University.

Magnolia, their Waco-based lifestyle company, has brand sponsorships that are recognizable at football games and its second-half cupcake challenge in the student section at men’s and women’s basketball games is a big attraction.

And now, thanks to what the university announced as the largest gift in Baylor baseball history, the Bears’ stadium will be known as Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark. The amount was not disclosed.

“The consistent presence and generosity of Chip and Joanna through their time and resources have been invaluable to Baylor University over these past 12 years,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone said in a statement.

The hosts of the popular HGTV series “Fixer Upper,” Chip Gaines graduated from Baylor in 1998, while Joanna Gaines graduated in 2001.

“Baylor has always been more than a university to us — it’s a place that shaped who we are and continues to shape leaders who care deeply about people,” Chip and Joanna Gaines said in a statement. “Baseball, in particular, has played a meaningful role in our family for generations. It’s where lessons are passed down, relationships are built and memories are made — on and off the field.”

Celebrities on the NIL bandwagon

The Gaineses aren’t the only celebrities to make major contributions to their favorite college sports programs. Here are some others:

Billionaire Mark Cuban made two large donations to the Indiana University football program to help attract players in the transfer portal the past two years. It appears to be paying off as the all-time worst college football team will play for its first national championship next week under second-year coach Curt Cignetti.

“They earned it,” Cuban said on ‘Sideline Stories’." ”The first time, it was like, OK, let’s see what happens … the second time, we know it works. I talked to them about different players and what their strategy was. The previous year, it all made sense and I wanted to be part of it.”

Cuban, who graduated from Indiana’s Kelley School of Business, did not reveal the amount of the NIL donations.

NBA star Steph Curry, his wife Ayesha, and Don, Matt and Erica Berman created an eight-figure fund to support the Davidson College men’s and women’s basketball teams. The Curry-Berman Fund will go toward paying athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness, allowing Davidson to compete with major college basketball programs.

Curry and Matt Berman, both Davidson alums, also serve as assistant general managers for Davidson basketball.

“The Davidson experience is top notch,” Curry said in a statement in March. “My journey from when I got to Davidson in 2006 to now demonstrated that I had the opportunity to play basketball at the highest level, got a great education, an amazing network through the Davidson alumni and continue to wave the Davidson flag.”

Another NBA star, James Harden, made a “high six-figure” donation last year to Sun Angel Collective at Arizona State University, his alma mater.

“NIL nowadays is the most important thing, because kids want to be compensated for their play and their work,” Harden told Front Office Sports. “I wanted to be a part of helping the team and the school get players … and if NIL is the problem, then I can help with that.”

In 2024, Michigan grad and Barstool Sport founder Dave Portnoy vowed to give the school $1 million to $3 million a year to get a “top 10 quarterback” in the transfer portal. His pledge coincided with the recruitment of Bryce Underwood, the top-rated quarterback coming out of high school.

Underwood eventually signed with Michigan for a reported $12 million NIL deal that involved what Fortune described as an “unlikely alliance” between Portnoy, Oracle founder Larry Ellison and seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady. Underwood did not enter the transfer portal after the 2025 season and will play for new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham.