FY2025 Financial Snapshot
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS · Prepared by Data Driven HBCU · March 2026
Total Revenue
$17.9M
FY2025 MFRS
Total Expenses
$17.9M
FY2025 MFRS
Net Position
+$0.0M
Revenue − Expenses
Athletic Aid
$5.1M
28.3% of expenses
Scholarship Equivs.
156.58
223 athletes receiving aid
Sports Offered
15
7M / 8W
FY2025 Revenue Sources
Athletic Aid vs. All 13 HBCU Peers
2024 Football Record
9-3
Cost / Equiv.
$32,340
In-State COA: $29,207
Pell Recipients
120
$779,351 total Pell aid
FY2025 Revenue Mix
Revenue source breakdown as reported in FY2025 NCAA MFRS filing.
Revenue Sources — FY2025 (NC Central)
| Revenue Source | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Student Fees | $5,452,022 | 30.5% |
| Direct Institutional | $4,385,535 | 24.5% |
| State / Gov | $2,990,988 | 16.7% |
| Indirect Institutional | $1,541,039 | 8.6% |
| Ticket Sales | $1,040,091 | 5.8% |
| Guarantees | $974,500 | 5.4% |
| NCAA / Conference | $356,973 | 2.0% |
| Media Rights | $64,778 | 0.4% |
| Donor Contributions | $913,563 | 5.1% |
| Other | $181,028 | 1.0% |
| TOTAL | $17,900,517 | 100.0% |
FY2025 Expense Mix
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS
Expense Breakdown — NC Central
Expenses by Category
| Expense Category | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Athletic Aid | $5,063,875 | 28.3% |
| Coaching Comp | $3,208,500 | 17.9% |
| Staff Comp | $2,534,935 | 14.2% |
| Game Exp & Travel | $2,033,348 | 11.4% |
| Facilities / Debt | $1,660,163 | 9.3% |
| Recruiting | $60,721 | 0.3% |
| Medical & Meals | $275,762 | 1.5% |
| Other | $3,063,213 | 17.1% |
| TOTAL | $17,900,517 | 100.0% |
FY2025 Scholarship Equivalencies
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS Page 43. Equivalency data as reported.
Grand Total Equivs.
156.58
223 athletes receiving aid
Total Aid Dollars
$5.1M
28.3% of expenses
Cost / Equiv.
$32,340
11-peer avg: ~$26K
Men's Aid
$3.1M
140 athletes
Women's Aid
$1.6M
83 athletes
Men's Scholarship Equivalencies by Sport
Women's Scholarship Equivalencies by Sport
| Men's Sport | Equivs. | Aid ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Football | 64.28 | $2,058,471 |
| Basketball | 13.85 | $443,526 |
| Track/XC | 11.10 | $355,461 |
| Golf | 3.86 | $123,611 |
| Tennis | 4.90 | $156,915 |
| Men's Total | — | $3,137,984 |
| Women's Sport | Equivs. | Aid ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball | 13.53 | $365,042 |
| Track/XC | 10.73 | $289,497 |
| Volleyball | 11.91 | $321,334 |
| Softball | 9.64 | $260,089 |
| Tennis | 7.09 | $191,289 |
| Golf | 5.69 | $153,517 |
| Women's Total | — | $1,580,768 |
HBCU Peer Comparison — FY2025 MFRS
All 13 programs. NC Central 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 — NC Central
NC Central is the MEAC benchmark for athletic investment efficiency. With 28.3% of its budget in aid and a $914K donor base, NCCU demonstrates that a MEAC budget can produce results competitive with programs spending significantly more.
FINDING 1
MEAC's strongest aid investor relative to budget size
At 28.3% of expenses invested in athletic aid ($5.06M), NCCU leads the MEAC in scholarship commitment relative to total spending. Aid ranks #2 among all 13 HBCU peers.
FINDING 2
$914K in donor contributions — the HBCU peer benchmark
NC Central leads this HBCU cohort in donor contributions at $914K in FY2025, standing in stark contrast to peers with $0. This is the model for diversified revenue.
FINDING 3
Best football record in cohort (9-3) with strong aid investment
NCCU's 9-3 record in 2024 reflects the investment in scholarships and recruiting translating to competitive outcomes — demonstrating the aid-to-performance relationship.
Historical Financial Trends — FY2005–FY2025
North Carolina Central 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 North Carolina Central 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 North Carolina Central University.