Today, Santander US announced a multi-year partnership with Villanova University Athletics naming Santander the Official Retail Bank Partner of Villanova Athletics and awarding a $1 million grant to Villanova University to provide scholarships for 50 student-athletes.
This grant is part of the company’s recently announced $13 million in funding to more than 30 colleges and universities across the U.S. for 2025 and 2026. This relationship was developed in collaboration with Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company and exclusive multi-media rights partner of Villanova Athletics.
“Our partnership with Villanova University and its athletics program is a testament to our commitment to expanding access to the education, resources, and career-building expertise that empowers the next generation to navigate today’s evolving workplace with confidence and achieve long-term success,” said Christiana Riley, President and CEO of Santander US.
This investment is part of Santander’s broader $25 million commitment to education, employability, and entrepreneurship, which supports programs designed to expand access to higher education and create pathways to opportunity. Santander’s expansive commitment to education also includes Open Academy, a non-profit initiative that offers all individuals free training in the skills most in demand by the labor market.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Santander to diversify and deepen opportunities for student-athletes both in and out of the classroom,” said Villanova Vice President and Director of Athletics Eric Roedl. “This partnership provides resources student-athletes need to pursue their athletic and academic goals, providing a platform to help them reach their full potential.”
About Santander US: Santander Holdings USA, Inc. (SHUSA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) (Santander), recognized as one of the world’s most admired companies by Fortune Magazine in 2025, with approximately 178 million customers in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. As the intermediate holding company for Santander’s U.S. businesses, SHUSA is the parent company of financial companies with more than 11,300 employees, 4.5 million customers, and assets of $165 billion in the fiscal year ended 2024. These include Santander Bank, N.A., Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc., Banco Santander International, Santander Securities LLC, Santander US Capital Markets LLC and several other subsidiaries. Santander US is recognized as a top 10 auto lender as well as a top 10 multifamily bank lender and servicer and has a growing wealth management business. For more information about Santander US, please visit www.santanderus.com.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.
About Villanova Athletics: Villanova University has a long and storied athletics history defined by excellence both in competition and in the classroom. The Villanova Athletics Department is a community of student-athletes, coaches, and staff whose primary focus is to achieve academic excellence while striving to produce teams and individuals committed to athletic competition and outstanding performance. Villanova Athletics sponsors 24 varsity sports, which together include more than 600 student-athletes. For more, visit www.villanova.com.
About Playfly Sports: Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company, drives growth for its partners across the sports ecosystem – including 2,000+ brands, 100+ professional teams, 65+ college athletic departments, all U.S. local sports networks and associated streaming platforms, and other marquee properties. Its fan engagement platform allows its partners to reach and engage over 85% of all U.S sports fans. Playfly builds and implements custom strategies across media, sponsorship, premium experiences, ticketing and fan engagement offerings through proprietary data, innovative technology and compelling storytelling. Playfly operates an expansive portfolio of services with a data-driven and fan-focused approach to maximize revenue yield in key growth areas, such as media, sponsorship, ticketing, premium experiences and fan engagement offerings. Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports is now home to approximately 1,000 team members located across 43 U.S. states and internationally dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. The company has been named a Best Place to Work in Sports by Sports Business Journal, Front Office Sports, and Newsweek. To learn more, follow Playfly Sports on social media platforms or visit www.Playfly.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251222098434/en/
“Our partnership with Villanova University and its athletics program is a testament to our commitment to expanding access to the education, resources, and career-building expertise...," said Christiana Riley, President and CEO of Santander US.
