The decision of Grambling State players to protest what they considered to be substandard conditions will come at a steep cost to the athletic department in general and the football program specifically.
The SWAC announced Wednesday morning that Grambling State will be fined an undisclosed amount of money as a result of a player boycott of an October 19 game against Jackson State. Grambling will also pay Jackson State an unspecified percentage of what’s described as “future distribution amounts.”
Additionally, Grambling will be forced to travel to Jackson State each of the next three seasons to help, the conference stated, recoup monies lost as a result of the boycott. Two of those three games would’ve been home contests for Grambling, adding travel costs and lost revenue to the punitive measures.
“As far as the fine for Grambling State and subsequent payment to Jackson State, we believe that it is the right thing to do from a conference standpoint,” SWAC commissioner Duer Sharp said. “Our goal at this point is to address those concerns head-on, finish up our regular season and move on towards our Football Championship in Houston on December 7.”
The Grambling players protested what they considered to poor conditions in the football facilities as well as decisions made by athletic department officials related to the head coaching position. That boycott led to a forfeit, with Grambling taking a loss and Jackson a win.
Following the protest, Grambling played its next three games as scheduled. One of those, against Mississippi Valley State, stands as the Tigers’ lone win this season.
They will close out the season Nov. 30 (on NBC) against rival Southern in the annual Bayou Classic.