Grumbling

Won't change the economics, nor make the fans watch you play;

Grambling competes in the Football Championship Subdivision, one rung below college football's upper echelon, and is allowed 63 full scholarships, compared with 85 scholarships in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The entire 10-team Southwestern Athletic Conference, to which Grambling belongs, spends less money on football ($19.6 million) than nearby Louisiana State University ($24.7 million) all by itself, according to 2011-2012 data. Grambling's football budget is $2 million, yet the university still must maintain the same basic facilities as higher-division schools—stadium, weight room, locker room. This has become a struggle.

In a letter to the school's administration that was made public Saturday by ESPN, Grambling football players complained that the athletic complex was "filled with mildew and mold," and alleged that poorly cleaned uniforms contributed to multiple cases of staph infection.

Dr. Frank Pogue, the president of Grambling, said the school is addressing every concern outlined in the letter, and that he hoped to meet with the players Monday. "We are also appealing to people throughout this country to understand that over the last six years, Grambling's budget has been cut by 57%," Pogue said. School officials are shifting funds to make repairs and restore the football program to full operation, which at the moment is "our top priority," he said.

'Our top priority'?

Exacerbating matters is Grambling's declining enrollment, caused by a swirl of factors including the economic recession and changes to federal student-loan laws, both of which disproportionately affected the school's mostly African-American population. 

Most of whom probably have cable television and watch any game they choose, in their dorm room. You can even study at halftime. Speaking of priorities.