FY2025 Financial Snapshot
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS · Prepared by Data Driven HBCU · March 2026
Total Revenue
$9.3M
FY2025 MFRS
Total Expenses
$14.2M
FY2025 MFRS
Net Position
$-5.0M
Revenue − Expenses
Athletic Aid
$4.0M
27.7% of expenses
Scholarship Equivs.
169.74
266 athletes receiving aid
Sports Offered
15
6M / 9W
FY2025 Revenue Sources
Athletic Aid vs. All 13 HBCU Peers
2024 Football Record
5-6
Cost / Equiv.
$23,271
In-State COA: $27,973
Pell Recipients
214
$1,435,127 total Pell aid
FY2025 Revenue Mix
Revenue source breakdown as reported in FY2025 NCAA MFRS filing.
Revenue Sources — FY2025 (Grambling St.)
| Revenue Source | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Student Fees | $1,052,796 | 11.4% |
| Direct Institutional | $3,208,569 | 34.6% |
| Ticket Sales | $1,800,273 | 19.4% |
| Guarantees | $1,130,500 | 12.2% |
| NCAA / Conference | $1,120,486 | 12.1% |
| Sponsorships | $79 | 0.0% |
| Donor Contributions | $773,351 | 8.3% |
| Other | $186,437 | 2.0% |
| TOTAL | $9,271,491 | 100.0% |
FY2025 Expense Mix
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS
Expense Breakdown — Grambling St.
Expenses by Category
| Expense Category | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Athletic Aid | $3,950,097 | 27.7% |
| Coaching Comp | $3,239,334 | 22.7% |
| Staff Comp | $1,471,633 | 10.3% |
| Game Exp & Travel | $3,517,701 | 24.7% |
| Facilities / Debt | $0 | 0.0% |
| Recruiting | $67,646 | 0.5% |
| Medical & Meals | $157,456 | 1.1% |
| Other | $1,839,326 | 12.9% |
| TOTAL | $14,243,193 | 100.0% |
FY2025 Scholarship Equivalencies
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS Page 43. Equivalency data as reported.
Grand Total Equivs.
169.74
266 athletes receiving aid
Total Aid Dollars
$4.0M
27.7% of expenses
Cost / Equiv.
$23,271
11-peer avg: ~$26K
Men's Aid
$2.4M
145 athletes
Women's Aid
$1.6M
121 athletes
Men's Scholarship Equivalencies by Sport
Women's Scholarship Equivalencies by Sport
| Men's Sport | Equivs. | Aid ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Football | 66.27 | $1,627,928 |
| Basketball | 12.96 | $318,363 |
| Track/XC | 6.49 | $159,427 |
| Baseball | 11.39 | $279,796 |
| Men's Total | — | $2,385,515 |
| Women's Sport | Equivs. | Aid ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball | 13.50 | $290,814 |
| Track/XC | 11.59 | $249,670 |
| Volleyball | 11.71 | $252,255 |
| Softball | 11.10 | $239,114 |
| Bowling | 3.62 | $77,981 |
| Soccer | 13.61 | $293,184 |
| Tennis | 7.50 | $161,564 |
| Women's Total | — | $1,564,582 |
HBCU Peer Comparison — FY2025 MFRS
All 13 programs. Grambling St. highlighted in gold.
Athletic Aid — 11 HBCU Programs (FY2025)
| School | Conf. | Revenue | Expenses | Net | Aid | Aid % | Equivs. |
|---|
Head Coaching Salaries — 11 HBCU Programs (FY2025)
Football, Men's Basketball, and Women's Basketball head coach compensation (university + third-party combined). Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS. — indicates no football program.
Men's & Women's Basketball HC Salary — 11 HBCU Programs (FY2025)
| School | FB HC Salary | MB HC Salary ▼ | WB HC Salary |
|---|
Endowment Data — 11 HBCU Programs (FY2025)
Restricted endowment income (MFRS L17), athletics dedicated endowments (L54), and institutional endowments (L55). Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS.
Institutional Endowment — 11 HBCU Programs (FY2025)
| School | Restricted Endow Income | Athletics Endowment ▼ | Institutional Endowment |
|---|
Key Findings & Research Verdict
Prepared: March 2026 | Data: FY2025 NCAA MFRS Actuals
Research Verdict — Grambling St.
Grambling State is a storied brand with a real funding crisis. The $4.97M deficit is unsustainable without structural revenue growth or expense reduction. The school's strong donor culture and national brand legacy are the primary levers for closing the gap.
FINDING 1
Largest structural deficit in the cohort: -$4.97M
Grambling spends $14.24M while generating $9.27M in revenue — a $4.97M deficit representing 35% of total expenses. This is the most significant financial sustainability concern in the HBCU cohort.
FINDING 2
Strong donor base ($773K) for a small-revenue program
Grambling generates $773K in donor contributions — third highest in the cohort. Given the overall revenue constraint, this donor pipeline is a critical and existing funding lever.
FINDING 3
Most Pell Grant recipients in the cohort (214 athletes)
Grambling leads all 13 programs with 214 student-athletes receiving Pell Grants ($1.44M total) — reflecting the school's mission to serve academically and financially eligible student-athletes.
Historical Financial Trends — FY2005–FY2025
Grambling State University · 21-Year View · FY2005–FY2024 data sourced from the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database; FY2025 data from NCAA MFRS reports provided by the institution.
Total Revenue vs. Total Expenses
Revenue by Category
Student Fees, Institutional Support, NCAA/Conference Distributions, Ticket Sales, Donor Contributions
Expenses by Category
Athletic Student Aid, Coaches Compensation, Staff Compensation, Game Travel, Facilities & Debt Service
Student Fees & Institutional Support
The two largest sources of institutional subsidy tracked over 21 years.
Data Attribution
FY2005–FY2024 historical data sourced from the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database, a project of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. FY2025 data from NCAA MFRS reports provided by the institution. All figures reflect reported actuals for Grambling State University.
FY2005–FY2024 historical data sourced from the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database, a project of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. FY2025 data from NCAA MFRS reports provided by the institution. All figures reflect reported actuals for Grambling State University.