Grambling State Tigers football
2022 Grambling State Tigers football team
First season	1928
Athletic director	Dr. Trayvean D. Scott
Head coach	Hue Jackson
Stadium	Eddie Robinson Stadium (capacity: 19,600)
Field surface	Artificial Turf
Location	Grambling, Louisiana
Conference	SWAC (since 1958)
Division	West
All-time record	534–239–18 (.686)
Bowl record	19–8 (.704)
Claimed national titles	15 (Black College): 1955, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2016
Conference titles	26
Rivalries	Southern Jackson State Prairie View A&M
Colors	Black and gold[1]
Website	gsutigers.com

The Grambling State Tigers are the college football team representing the Grambling State University. The Tigers play in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The prominence of Grambling football is longstanding. The Tigers, under Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson, who guided them to 408 victories in 55 seasons from 1941 to 1942 and 1945 to 1997, were built as a small-school powerhouse with more than 200 players who played professional football.^[2]

On September 24, 1976, Grambling State and Morgan State became the first collegiate football teams from the United States to play a game in the continent of Asia. GSU defeated Morgan State 42–16 in Tokyo, Japan. In fall 1977, the GSU Tigers were invited back to Tokyo where they defeated Temple University 35–32 in the inaugural Mirage Bowl game.^[3]

Among its accomplishments include: 15 Black college football national championships (tied for second most in HBCU history) and 26 Conference Championships (1 Midwest Conference & 25 SWAC). The Tigers have won the most SWAC Championships to date.^[4]

Football classifications

• 1937–1952: NA
• 1953–1972: NCAA College Division (Small College)
• 1973–1976: NCAA Division II
• 1977: NCAA Division I
• 1978–present: NCAA Division I-AA (FCS)

Conference affiliations

• 1928–1951: Independent
• 1952–1957: Midwestern Conference
• 1958–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference

Annual Classics

• State Fair Classic
• Red River State Fair Classic
• Bayou Classic

Championships

Notes: an asterisk denotes co-championships; a double-asterisk denotes forfeits

Midwestern Conference Championships^[5]

• 1955

SWAC Championships^[6]

• 1960 (shared with Prairie View A&M and Southern)
• 1965
• 1966 (shared with Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Southern, and Texas Southern)
• 1967
• 1968 (shared with Alcorn State and Texas Southern)
• 1971
• 1972 (shared with Jackson State)
• 1973 (shared with Jackson State)
• 1974 (shared with Alcorn State)
• 1975 (shared with Jackson State and Southern; vacated^[7] due to violation of SWAC rules for scheduling opponents)^[8]
• 1977
• 1978
• 1979 (shared with Alcorn State)
• 1980 (shared with Jackson State)
• 1983
• 1985 (shared with Jackson State)
• 1989
• 1994 (shared with Alcorn State)
• 2000
• 2001
• 2002
• 2005
• 2008
• 2011
• 2016
• 2017

Grambling football game in 2005

Black college football national championships

• 1955
• 1967 (shared with Morgan State)
• 1972
• 1974 (shared with Alcorn State)
• 1975 (shared with Southern)
• 1977 (shared with Florida A&M and South Carolina State)
• 1980
• 1983 (shared with Central State and Tennessee State)
• 1992 (shared with Central State)
• 2000
• 2001 (shared with Florida A&M and Tuskegee)
• 2002 (shared with Bethune–Cookman)
• 2005 (shared with Hampton)
• 2008 (shared with South Carolina State)
• 2016

Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results

The Tigers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs three times with a record of 0–3.

Division II Playoffs results

The Tigers have appeared in the Division II playoffs one time with an overall record of 1–1.

College Football Hall of Fame members

• Buck Buchanan - OT, 1959–1962, inducted 1996
• Gary "Big Hands" Johnson - DT, 1971–1974, inducted 1997
• Eddie Robinson - Coach, 1941–1997, inducted 1997
• Doug Williams - QB, 1974–1977, inducted 2001
• Paul "Tank" Younger - FB, 1945–1948, inducted 2000

Pro Football Hall of Fame members

Over 100 Grambling State alumni have played in the NFL,^[9] including four Pro Football Hall of Famers:

• Willie Brown, inducted 1984
• Buck Buchanan, inducted 1990
• Willie Davis, inducted 1981
• Charlie Joiner, inducted 1996