FY2025 Financial Snapshot
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS · Prepared by Data Driven HBCU · March 2026
Total Revenue
$17.0M
FY2025 MFRS
Total Expenses
$18.4M
FY2025 MFRS
Net Position
$-1.3M
Revenue − Expenses
Athletic Aid
$3.6M
19.6% of expenses
Scholarship Equivs.
184.59
292 athletes receiving aid
Sports Offered
18
8M / 10W
FY2025 Revenue Sources
Athletic Aid vs. All 13 HBCU Peers
2024 Football Record
8-5
Cost / Equiv.
$19,482
In-State COA: $25,767
Pell Recipients
175
$1,187,290 total Pell aid
FY2025 Revenue Mix
Revenue source breakdown as reported in FY2025 NCAA MFRS filing.
Revenue Sources — FY2025 (Southern U.)
| Revenue Source | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Student Fees | $3,487,560 | 20.5% |
| Direct Institutional | $3,707,497 | 21.8% |
| Indirect Institutional | $2,975,305 | 17.5% |
| Ticket Sales | $1,845,679 | 10.8% |
| Guarantees | $1,000,500 | 5.9% |
| NCAA / Conference | $903,596 | 5.3% |
| Sponsorships | $950,544 | 5.6% |
| Donor Contributions | $0 | 0.0% |
| Other | $2,155,453 | 12.7% |
| TOTAL | $17,026,134 | 100.0% |
FY2025 Expense Mix
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS
Expense Breakdown — Southern U.
Expenses by Category
| Expense Category | Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Athletic Aid | $3,596,155 | 19.6% |
| Coaching Comp | $3,511,725 | 19.1% |
| Staff Comp | $1,964,504 | 10.7% |
| Game Exp & Travel | $2,993,034 | 16.3% |
| Facilities / Debt | $4,702,029 | 25.6% |
| Recruiting | $47,919 | 0.3% |
| Medical & Meals | $510,225 | 2.8% |
| Other | $1,048,851 | 5.7% |
| TOTAL | $18,374,442 | 100.0% |
FY2025 Scholarship Equivalencies
Source: FY2025 NCAA MFRS Page 43. Equivalency data as reported.
Grand Total Equivs.
184.59
292 athletes receiving aid
Total Aid Dollars
$3.6M
19.6% of expenses
Cost / Equiv.
$19,482
11-peer avg: ~$26K
Men's Aid
$1.9M
167 athletes
Women's Aid
$1.7M
125 athletes
Men's Scholarship Equivalencies by Sport
Women's Scholarship Equivalencies by Sport
| Men's Sport | Equivs. | Aid ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Football | 56.69 | $1,070,684 |
| Basketball | 12.50 | $236,083 |
| Track/XC | 12.07 | $227,962 |
| Baseball | 11.53 | $217,763 |
| Golf | 4.31 | $81,401 |
| Tennis | 4.35 | $82,157 |
| Men's Total | — | $1,916,050 |
| Women's Sport | Equivs. | Aid ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball | 14.82 | $299,485 |
| Track/XC | 17.01 | $343,741 |
| Volleyball | 12.00 | $242,498 |
| Softball | 10.36 | $209,356 |
| Bowling | 4.37 | $88,310 |
| Soccer | 13.31 | $268,970 |
| Tennis | 6.57 | $132,767 |
| Golf | 4.70 | $94,978 |
| Women's Total | — | $1,680,105 |
HBCU Peer Comparison — FY2025 MFRS
All 13 programs. Southern U. 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 — Southern U.
Southern University has the broadest athletic program by sports count with 56.69 football equivalencies producing an 8-5 record in 2024. Continuing investment toward the 63-equiv NCAA maximum and diversifying revenue beyond the current zero-donor-contribution model are the next strategic priorities.
FINDING 1
Most sports programs sponsored (18) in the cohort
Southern University sponsors 18 varsity programs — tied with Prairie View for the most in the cohort. Supporting 292 scholarship athletes across 18 sports on $17M in revenue is a significant operational commitment.
FINDING 2
Football scholarships at 56.69 equivs — 8-5 record in 2024
Southern U. awards 56.69 football equivalencies, producing an 8-5 record in 2024. Continued investment toward the 63-equiv NCAA maximum would further strengthen recruiting depth and SWAC competitiveness.
FINDING 3
$950K in royalties and sponsorships — second highest in the cohort
Southern University generates $950K from royalties and sponsorships — demonstrating strong brand licensing capability that few HBCU peers have matched, representing a significant earned revenue lever.
Historical Financial Trends — FY2005–FY2025
Southern University, Baton Rouge · 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 Southern University, Baton Rouge.
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 Southern University, Baton Rouge.