Ohio State coach Urban Meyer's endorsement of John Kasich this week is just the latest example of a sports figure supporting a presidential candidate this primary season.
Jeb Bush and Chris Christie were the most popular recipients of NFL donations. But like so many who donated to Bush and Christie, the NFL's money didn’t mean a thing in the year of Donald Trump.
Bush received at least $1.2 million in donations from NFL owners, according to public financing records located on OpenSecrets.org. Jets owner Woody Johnson was the national finance chairman for Bush’s campaign, which also got support from, among others, Peyton and Eli Manning and NCAA president Mark Emmert.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Hall of Famer Roger Staubach were among those who donated to Christie. Houston Texans owner Bob McNair poured in more than $3 million to six Republican campaigns.
In the NBA, Hillary Clinton has dominated donations, receiving money from commissioner Adam Silver and basketball legend Magic Johnson. The Milwaukee Bucks’ president, general manager and coach all gave to Clinton.
Marlene Ricketts, the matriarch of the family that owns the Chicago Cubs, has funded about $5 million to super political action committees (Super PACs) for Republican candidates. She gave $3 million to a PAC that’s airing ads against Trump, who responded with a tweet in late February that read: “I hear the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending money against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!”
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts told the Chicago Tribune this month, “It’s a little surreal when Donald Trump threatens your mom. The fact is whether it’s my mom or my dad on his Ending Spending (PAC) or my sister on (supporting) marriage equality, or my brothers on what they do, or what we do with the team, we’re pretty much an open book. … Look, if we had something to hide, you guys would've found it by now I’m sure.”
So who from the sports world is supporting Trump? No donation matches were found during an extensive search of people who work in sports. Keep in mind, Trump is financing 70 percent of his campaign, according to OpenSecrets.org, so the bulk of his money isn’t coming from contributions. By contrast, donations make up 94 percent or more of the money for every other candidate still in the field.
Trump has received public support in one form or another from some people in sports, such as Paul O'Neill, Tom Brady, Dennis Rodman, Terrell Owens, John Rocker, Latrell Sprewell, Mike Tyson and Herschel Walker. NASCAR CEO Brian France endorsed Trump in late February. Very few donations in sports have gone to Ted Cruz, who is Trump’s top challenger for the Republican nomination, or Bernie Sanders, who is Clinton's only challenger for the Democratic nomination.
The most recent available donations are from Dec. 31, 2015. Because of that cutoff date, it's not clear whether Meyer attached a donation with his recent endorsement of Kasich. There are no records showing Meyer has ever donated to a political campaign.
Here is a sampling of where the money from sports has been going during this primary season:
The table below includes contributions made by individuals to campaigns and Super PACs made available via public financing records on OpenSecrets.org. It is a sampling of campaign contributions and not necessarily a comprehensive list.
| Presidential candidate donations from Sports Figures | ||
| College Sports | ||
| Person | Candidate | Donation |
| Mark Emmert, NCAA president | Jeb Bush | $1,000 |
| Lou Holtz, ex-Notre Dame coach | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $250 |
| Jeffrey Kessler, attorney for NCAA players | Hillary Clinton | $1,000 |
| Mark Lewis, NCAA executive VP | John Kasich | $250 |
| Tom McMillen, D-I AD assococation director | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| T. Boone Pickens, Oklahoma State booster | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $100,000 |
| Jeb Bush | $2,700 | |
| Carly Fiorina Super PAC | $25,000 | |
| Ben Carson | $10,000 | |
| Kevin Plank, Maryland booster | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Chris Christie | $2,700 | |
| Jeb Bush | $2,700 | |
| Martin O'Malley | $2,700 | |
| Gary Williams, ex-Maryland coach | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Jay Williams, ex-Duke player | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| NFL | ||
| Person | Candidate | Donation |
| Walt Anderson, NFL referee | Ben Carson | $250 |
| Tom Benson, Saints owner | Bobby Jindal | $2,700 |
| Bobby Jindal Super PAC | $25,000 | |
| Jeb Bush Super PAC | $100,000 | |
| Michael Bidwell, Cardinals president | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Joel Bitonio, Browns guard | Hillary Clinton | $1,000 |
| Mike Brown, Bengals owner | John Kasich | $2,700 |
| Lindsey Graham | $2,700 | |
| Dick Cass, Ravens president | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Kevin Demoff, Rams executive VP | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Mike Ditka, ex-Bears coach | Ben Carson | $1,000 |
| Joe Ellis, Broncos president | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Tony Gonzalez, ex-Chiefs tight end | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| John Greco, Browns guard | Hillary Clinton | $1,000 |
| Jimmy Haslam, Browns owner | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $30,000 |
| Jeb Bush | $2,700 | |
| John Kasich | $2,700 | |
| Woody Johnson, Jets owner | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $501,604 |
| Jeb Bush | $5,400 | |
| Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Stephen Jones, Cowboys executive VP | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Mark Lamping, Jaguars president | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Jeffrey Lurie, Eagles owner | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Nick Mangold, Jets center | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Archie Manning, ex-Saints quarterback | Bobby Jindal | $2,500 |
| Eli Manning, Giants quarterback | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Peyton Manning, ex-Broncos quarterback | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Bob McNair, Texans owner | Lindsey Graham Super PAC | $500,000 |
| Marco Rubio Super PAC | $500,000 | |
| Jeb Bush Super PAC | $500,000 | |
| Ted Cruz Super PAC | $500,000 | |
| Carly Fiorina Super PAC | $500,000 | |
| Mike Huckabee Super PAC | $500,000 | |
| Carly Fiorina | $2,700 | |
| Lindsey Graham | $2,700 | |
| Marco Rubio | $2,600 | |
| Jeffrey Pash, NFL executive VP | John Kasich | $1,000 |
| Howard Roseman, Eagles executive VP | John Kasich | $2,700 |
| Stephen Ross, Dolphins owner | George Pataki Super PAC | $50,000 |
| Dean Spanos, Chargers owner | Rick Perry Super PAC | $5,000 |
| Rick Perry | $2,700 | |
| Jeb Bush | $2,700 | |
| Emmitt Smith, NFL Hall of Famer | Jeb Bush | $500 |
| Steve Smith, Ravens wide receiver | Jeb Bush | $2,500 |
| Daniel Snyder, Redskins owner | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $100,000 |
| Roger Staubach, NFL Hall of Famer | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Andrew Whitworth, Bengals tackle | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Doug Williams, ex-Redskins quarterback | Hillary Clinton | $250 |
| MLB | ||
| Person | Candidate | Donation |
| Hank Aaron, MLB Hall of Famer | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Rocco Baldelli, Rays first base coach | Bernie Sanders | $250 |
| Mike Chipman, Diamondbacks part-owner | Marco Rubio | $2,700 |
| Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals owner | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Bill DeWitt III, Cardinals president | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| David Glass, Royals owner | Mike Huckabee | $2,700 |
| Davey Johnson, ex-Nationals manager | Ben Carson | $2,700 |
| Ken Kendrick, Diamondbacks part-owner | Chris Christie | $1,000 |
| Sam Kennedy, Red Sox president | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Al Leiter, ex-pitcher | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Peter Magowan, ex-Giants owner | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Marlene Ricketts, family ownership of Cubs | Scott Walker Super PAC | $4.9 million |
| Ted Cruz Super PAC | $10,000 | |
| Marco Rubio Super PAC | $10,000 | |
| Rick Perry Super PAC | $10,000 | |
| Jeb Bush Super PAC | $10,000 | |
| Chris Christie Super PAC | $10,000 | |
| Curt Schilling, ex-Red Sox pitcher | Ben Carson | $250 |
| Chris Singleton, ex-MLB outfielder | Ben Carson | $250 |
| Stuart Sternberg, Rays owner | Chris Christie | $2,700 |
| Mark Teixeira, Yankees first baseman | Marco Rubio | $2,700 |
| Tom Werner, Red Sox chairman | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Fred Wilpon, Mets owner | Chris Christie Super PAC | $100,000 |
| Chris Christie | $2,700 | |
| NBA | ||
| Person | Candidate | Donation |
| Rolando Blackman, ex-guard | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Jason Collins, ex-center | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Peter Feigin, Bucks president | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| John Hammond, Bucks general manager | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Grant Hill, ex-guard | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Peter Holt, Spurs owner | Rick Perry | $2,700 |
| Magic Johnson, Hall of Famer | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Jason Kidd, Bucks coach | Hillary Clinton | $5,200 |
| Billy King, ex-Nets general manager | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Jim Paxson, ex-Cavaliers general manager | Carly Fiorina | $500 |
| Vivek Ranadive, Kings owner | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Pat Riley, Heat president | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $10,000 |
| Jeb Bush | $2,700 | |
| Adam Silver, NBA commissioner | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| NHL | ||
| Person | Candidate | Donation |
| Rory Babich, Panthers CEO | Hillary Clinton | $1,000 |
| Mike Fisher, Predators center | Ted Cruz | $500 |
| Erik Johnson, Avalanche defenseman | Ben Carson | $250 |
| Peter Karamanos, Hurricanes owner | Marco Rubio | $2,700 |
| Ben Carson | $1,500 | |
| Craig Leipold, Wild owner | Scott Walker Super PAC | $50,000 |
| Scott Walker | $2,700 | |
| Jim Lites, Stars president | Jeb Bush | $1,000 |
| David Morehouse, Penguins CEO | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |
| Chris Rooney, NHL referee | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $3,000 |
| Jeffrey Vinik, Lightning owner | Jeb Bush | $2,700 |
| Other Sports | ||
| Person | Candidate | Donation |
| Brian France, NASCAR CEO | Jeb Bush Super PAC | $50,000 |
| Jeb Bush | $2,700 | |
| Carly Fiorina | $2,700 | |
| Marco Rubio | $2,700 | |
| Ben Olsen, DC United coach | Hillary Clinton | $1,000 |
| Casey Wasserman, LA 2024 Olympics chair | Hillary Clinton | $2,700 |