Charles Barkley Donates $1 Million to Auburn Women’s Basketball and Alabama Recidivism Program

Charles Barkley, the NBA Hall of Famer known for his fearless playing style, is making headlines again—this time with his generosity. In May, Barkley donated $1 million to support women’s sports at Auburn University. Now, as interest in women's basketball grows with stars like A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese, he is directing another $1 million specifically to Auburn's women’s basketball program.

“Women’s basketball is in the spotlight,” Barkley told news. “[Head coach] Johnnie Harris has started something special. She’s working hard to turn the program around, and I want to make sure Auburn’s women are not left behind.”

The Auburn Tigers, under Coach Johnnie Harris, had a solid season, finishing 20-12 and making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in five years. Though they were eliminated by Arizona in a close play-in game (69-59), the team showed promise and determination.

Barkley is also donating $1 million to the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) to help reduce the state's recidivism rate. The ACCS, which includes 24 colleges across Alabama, is part of "Reentry Alabama," a program aiming to cut the recidivism rate in half by 2030. J.F. Ingram State Technical College, one of these colleges, specializes in providing job training to those who have been incarcerated.

Beyond just financial support, Barkley plans to actively work with the program. “I’m putting my time and effort into this,” he said. “They’re doing incredible work, helping people get jobs after they leave prison. I've seen some amazing stories of people turning their lives around."

This isn’t the first time Barkley has shown his generosity. He has previously donated $1 million each to ALS research in Alabama in honor of his former Auburn teammate Gary Godfrey, Auburn University itself, the Wounded Warrior Project, and several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Spelman, Tuskegee, Morehouse, and Alabama A&M.

Last June, Barkley also revealed plans to change his will, reallocating $5 million to fund scholarships for low-income Black students at Auburn.