Game-changing alliance enhances national nonprofit’s awareness and engagement across all three NCAA divisions to deepen participation and champion community impact
The NCAA and Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, today announced a strategic collaboration that will foster long-term relationships between collegiate student-athletes and youth to inspire and promote belonging, empowerment, and resilience.
The NCAA collaboration will expand Team IMPACT’s reach, bringing its life-changing model to more families and NCAA Divisions I, II, and III student-athletes nationwide, while helping each child feel supported and allowing every team to discover a greater purpose. The NCAA and Team IMPACT will expand opportunities for children who will be matched with college sports teams at various NCAA championships, to support the children’s well-being and enrich the lives, community activism, and leadership of student-athletes.
Team IMPACT’s program is built on a clinical foundation, creating a personalized game plan for each child’s therapeutic journey and social-emotional development. In addition to the children and families in the program, the organization equips student-athlete leaders with resources throughout the experience, which educates them on the program and what to expect from the experience. Team IMPACT will continue to provide education in greater ways through the NCAA collaboration. The joint effort will also offer strength, connection, and hope to both children and student athletes alike.
“This collaboration reflects the very best of college sports – using athletics and community to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children, their families and student-athletes,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker. “Team IMPACT’s work changes the outlook for the children and transforms the student-athletes who welcome them. I have been fortunate enough to meet with coaches and student-athletes alike who are involved in the program, and the feedback is incredible. Student athletes are learning about empathy, civic duty, and a different type of resilience while giving back in their communities. We are incredibly proud to support this mission and help bring it to more teams across the country.”
“This collaboration with the NCAA is a powerful validation of Team IMPACT’s model and the work we have been doing for over a decade to leverage the power of team to change lives,” said Krissie Kelleher, CEO of Team IMPACT. “Together, we will be able to reach more families and children who need hope, connection, and strength, while giving student-athlete leaders a profound purpose beyond the game. We believe that every child navigating serious health challenges deserves a team and, with the NCAA as our teammate, we are closer to making that vision a reality.”
The NCAA Community Engagement unit will coordinate the efforts with Team IMPACT. NCAA and Team IMPACT staff have had the opportunity to meet and strategically align both brands in an effort to create a positive experience for everyone involved.
“We look forward to working with the staff at Team IMPACT in this new NCAA community engagement collaboration to create meaningful, life-changing experiences for the participating children and college teams at NCAA championships and events,” said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president for inclusion, education, and community engagement. “We believe this relationship with Team IMPACT will further the personal growth and leadership of our NCAA student-athletes, who are role models on their campuses and in their communities.”
With over 1,100 current NCAA teams now partnered with Team IMPACT, this collaboration presents an enhanced platform to significantly broaden outreach, engage diverse audiences, and foster new opportunities to positively influence families and college communities across the nation. Notably, Team IMPACT’s influence extends beyond the numbers, as surveys of participating athletes reveal that their involvement with these children has notably enhanced their mental health and overall well-being. In an era where mental health awareness is increasingly pivotal within collegiate athletics, this initiative underscores a proactive approach to addressing this pressing concern.
Since its inception in 2011, Team IMPACT has facilitated over 4,000 matches between children and teams across more than 800 colleges and universities. While the organization has previously partnered with individual collegiate institutions, this expanded collaboration across all NCAA divisions marks a pivotal step forward, aimed at enhancing and broadening supportive team environments nationwide. Beginning in the 2025–26 academic year, Team IMPACT and the NCAA will launch coordinated initiatives and engagement strategies to further amplify their impact and reach within college communities.
For more information about Team IMPACT and the NCAA collaboration, please visit www.teamimpact.org/ncaa and www.ncaa.org.
About Team IMPACT
Team IMPACT’s unique multiyear program signs children facing serious illness and disability onto college athletic teams across the country. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment, and resilience, ensuring everyone involved has the personalized game plan they need to win – effectively building confidence and independence. Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 4,000 children with 800+ colleges and universities in 50 states, impacting more than 100,000 student-athletes. If you know a child or team who may be interested, please visit www.teamimpact.org.
About NCAA
About the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association provides a world-class athletics and academic experience that fosters lifelong well-being for more than 520,000 student-athletes annually. The NCAA stages 91 championships across three divisions, and its 1,100 member schools provide nearly $4 billion in athletics scholarships every year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more.
