Grambling State Football Team Goes on Strike....

[NDSUstudent]

Grambling's once proud program is in shambles as players battle administration....


Not one Grambling football player attended Wednesday afternoon practice after players walked out of a Tuesday meeting with administration, according to a member of the football program.

The source said players aren’t happy with the way they are treated, and frustrations boiled over Tuesday during a meeting with president Frank Pogue, athletic director Aaron James, interim coach George Ragsdale and student government president Jordan Harvey held in the stadium support facility building outside of Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.

The meeting occurred to address the reasons for bus travel to games in Kansas City and Indianapolis and the firing of head coach Doug Williams in mid-September.

But players walked out as the meeting became increasingly negative, according to the source, and the entire team left.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20131016/SPORTS02/310160035/Grambling-football-team-walks-out-meeting-administration?nclick_check=1

[gotts]

“It was basically a munity*,” the source said. “(The team) rode the bus all that way (to Indianapolis), and then come back and are disrespected like that (in Tuesday’s meeting).

If they're getting this, then why don't they just come back if they're not going to be punished???


*Eat your heart out, Fargo Foolem

[KSBisonFan]

I'm pretty sure Grambling football has been on strike against winning for several years.

[NDSUstudent]

The players didn't show for practice again today...sounds like the interim coach has been fired...what a mess...


Less than an hour after Grambling players decided not to show up to practice for the second straight day, interim coach George Ragsdale was fired.

Ragsdale was seen leaving the football facility building around 4:20 p.m. as he headed toward the administration building. Ragsdale then came back in his white pickup truck and left again for good at 4:47 p.m.

The News-Star learned players didn’t plan on showing up for Thursday’s 5 p.m. practice and they kept their end of the bargain as the field remained empty after 5.

The information comes after a planned 3 p.m. meeting in which players were to discuss whether they were going to play Saturday’s game against Jackson State University. Shortly after the planned time of the meeting, reporters on the scene were told to leave the premises and that GSU coaches and players were off-limits.

The continued boycott now leaves Saturday’s game at Jackson State up in the air.

http://blogs.thenewsstar.com/seanisabella/2013/10/17/grambling-players-skip-out-on-practice-for-second-straight-day/

[gumby013]

The players didn't show for practice again today...sounds like the interim coach has been fired...what a mess...



http://blogs.thenewsstar.com/seanisabella/2013/10/17/grambling-players-skip-out-on-practice-for-second-straight-day/

Jackson State will be left with only 10 games if this one doesn't happen. They have 11/2 as an open date. I say bring them up to Fargo.

[Bison bison]

Why???????????

[bisonaudit]

Why???????????

53-7 > 52-7

[NDSUstudent]

Sounds like the boycott is over and Grambling will play at JSU on Saturday.

[DePereBisonFan]

Jackson State will be left with only 10 games if this one doesn't happen. They have 11/2 as an open date. I say bring them up to Fargo.

I love this idea.

[NDSUstudent]

Perhaps the boycott is not over...Players have yet to board the team bus.....

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20131018/NEWS01/131018008/UPDATE-Grambling-AD-says-departure-time-pushed-back?nclick_check=1

SI also had an article about this today....honestly I wonder how much longer Grambling will even have a DI program...


"Losing that money shows up in everything. It shows up in your recruiting budget, in the hotel you stay in, in the food you get. It means you take a bus to games like last weekend [in Indianapolis]," says James, the athletic director. "We could have spent another $70,000 and taken a charter plane to Indianapolis or we can use that money to help some of the minor sports. Football coaches don't like that, they say they bring in the money and they want to spend it all, but we have to look at the entire athletic department."

Some accounting tricks have spared the athletic department even greater pain, at least for now. In past years, the school has moved about $3.4 million out of its operating revenue to help pay for athletics. This year, the school had only $1.8 million to transfer. The difference was made up, in part, by moving $1.2 million in auxiliary funds over to athletics, but that cannot be repeated next year, Sanders says. Unless new monies are found, athletics could see its budget shaved by more than a $1 million or more for the 2014-15 school year.

"We are functioning now in a financial emergency," Pogue says.

The school's plan to make up the difference relies on getting students to agree to a fee of $100 per semester that would go to athletics and also an aggressive campaign to get more donations from alumni. The same student fee initiative failed to pass last year, however, and the school admits that there isn't a "culture" of giving among its small alumni pool. "We don't even budget for donations," Sanders says. "Not a penny."


Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20131018/grambling-football/#ixzz2i6dqwNn1

[THEsocalledfan]

Perhaps the boycott is not over...Players have yet to board the team bus.....

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20131018/NEWS01/131018008/UPDATE-Grambling-AD-says-departure-time-pushed-back?nclick_check=1

SI also had an article about this today....honestly I wonder how much longer Grambling will even have a DI program...

Even though it is a once proud program, let's hope they drop football or move to d2. These are the programs that will cause problems for NDSU in FCS.

[NDSUstudent]

Sounds like they are going to forfeit now....

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24103303/report-grambling-players-have-decided-to-not-play-jackson-state

Got to suck for Jackson State fans, this was supposed to be their homecoming game.

[missingnumber7]

Sounds like they are going to forfeit now....

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24103303/report-grambling-players-have-decided-to-not-play-jackson-state

Got to suck for Jackson State fans, this was supposed to be their homecoming game.

Wonder when the dropping football topic comes up...then it will be poor football players that lost their scholarships.

[NDSUstudent]

Even though it is a once proud program, let's hope they drop football or move to d2. These are the programs that will cause problems for NDSU in FCS.

Agreed and sadly I don't think Grambling is the only SWAC school with issues.

[NDSUstudent]

The game is officially forfeited...


JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
The Grambling Tigers will not put a team on the field against Jackson State Saturday for the Tigers' homecoming game. That word comes from the Jackson State Athletic Department.

A news conference is scheduled for 5:30 Friday afternoon to give more details.

Earlier in the afternoon, we confirmed that no players boarded buses on the Grambling campus to make the trip to Jackson.

http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/23723252/unrest-on-grambling-football-team

Meanwhile it is being reported the players are demanding that the mold and mildew be removed from the locker room, for the weight room to be properly ventilated and for GSU's president to resign or be fired.

[NDSUstudent]

Now the school has threatened to pull scholarships....


Matt Vines of the Shreveport Times is reporting that Grambling State University administrators have sent a mass e-mail to football players threatening to take away their scholarships.

The threat comes after players missed two deadlines this afternoon to get on a bus for a scheduled Saturday game at Jackson State University.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20131018/BREAKING_NEWS/131018014/UPDATE-5-10-p-m-Grambling-threatens-pull-players-scholarships?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|FRONTPAGE

[LITTLEGUYSINGREEN]

Sounds like Grambling should just drop football because it is readily apparent the university can no longer afford the program.

A shame, but reality.

[ndsubison1]

are they protesting mainly cuz of the firing of doug williams? williams said hes proud of them for protesting

[BadlandsBison]

are they protesting mainly cuz of the firing of doug williams? williams said hes proud of them for protesting

Why was he fired?

[ndsubison1]

Why was he fired?

well last year they went 1-10 and he was fired after starting 0-2 this season

[BadlandsBison]

well last year they went 1-10 and he was fired after starting 0-2 this season

Should we be worried about grambling going after Bohl?!

[NDSUstudent]

are they protesting mainly cuz of the firing of doug williams? williams said hes proud of them for protesting

I think that is part of it. Sounds like Williams went around the admin to get some weight room upgrades paid for and that was the last straw. He also battled with admin at the other times over various issues. Plus his team sucked last year but they did win the SWAC they year before.

Sounds like he was getting paid a base salary of $250k(with an extra 100k worth of incentives). Probably a bit much to be paying a coach when your school is broke.

[bisonaudit]

I think that is part of it. Sounds like Williams went around the admin to get some weight room upgrades paid for and that was the last straw. He also battled with admin at the other times over various issues. Plus his team sucked last year but they did win the SWAC they year before.

Sounds he was getting paid a base salary of $250k(with an extra 100k worth of incentives). Probably a bit much to being a coach when your school is broke.

This is what you get when you elect a bunch of people who don't believe in public education. State funding for Grambling has decreased from 30 million a year to 13 million a year. This isn't a football problem, an athletic department problem, or even a university problem.

[NDSUstudent]

Deadspin now has an article out about Grambling that hits on some of the things bisonaudit was talking about...

http://deadspin.com/whats-behind-the-grambling-football-teams-protest-1447273282

[Kermit]

Deadspin now has an article out about Grambling that hits on some of the things bisonaudit was talking about...

http://deadspin.com/whats-behind-the-grambling-football-teams-protest-1447273282

Wow. What a disaster.

[NDSUstudent]

Wow is all I have to say about this article....


On Friday, Grambling State canceled its football game against Jackson State after Grambling's disgruntled players refused to travel to Jackson, Miss., for the game Saturday.
The letter says "there are certain factors that are hindering us from reaching our goals" and then elaborates on many of them.

The athletic complex "is in horrible condition, and has many hazards that may contribute to our overall health," the letter says. "First, the complex is filled with mildew and mold. Mildew and mold can be seen on the ceiling, walls and floor, and are contributing to water leaks because of faltering walls and ceilings."

As has been reported before, the players say that the floor is coming up in the weight room, but the letter also asks that the university supply better detergent for uniforms.

"The uniforms are poorly cleaned and contribute to the multiple cases if staph infection," the letter reads. "Several players have been infected with staph multiple times."

A group of 26 photos obtained by Gomez from an unnamed Grambling State player appear to illustrate some of the players' complaints.

Several of the photographs show walls and ceiling tiles and even player equipment that appear to be covered in mold or mildew. Other photos show floors from the facility's weight-training room missing wide sections of its rubberized floor tiles, and torn and tattered covers to some of the room's weightlifting benches.

According to the letter, players have been complaining for some time that Gatorade and the supplement Muscle Milk were not supplied during summer camp or workouts.

"We had to pay for those expensive items ourselves," the letter states. "We were also forced to get water from hoses underneath the stadium in 90 degree plus weather."

As has also been reported, players took exception to the fact that they had to travel by bus to Kansas City and Indianapolis.

"One trip was 14 hours while the other was 17," the letter says. "Players were drained and exhausted after those long rides."

The players were bothered, according to the letter, that "the president and athletic director traveled by plane."

In addition, the letter states that money from "friends of football and the alumni association ... is being rejected" because the organizations donating the money want it to go to specific areas, while the university demands that it be applied to the university or athletics as a whole...

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/1019/ncf_e_shoulder_pads_b1_600.jpg

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9846943/grambling-state-tigers-players-send-letter-complaint-administration

[bisonaudit]

It's a disaster down there, and not just for the football team.

[NDSUstudent]

Sadly the pics just get worse...

https://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/sx/www.tspnsports.com/pbs.twimg.com/media/xBW-zBQqCQAAfi_U.jpg,3Alarge.pagespeed.ic.0yNW6Xxvb3.w ebp

http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.tspnsports.com/2.bp.blogspot.com/-XifHAfe8PfI/UmMcgN8D0oI/AAAAAAAABPc/fAJ19IqQi84/s1600/xweight.jpg.pagespeed.ic.O-m6SdWGbB.webp

[BisonTeacher]

If things are this bad there...what the heck were these guys looking at when they were being recruited?

On a related note...ever been to the gophs practice facility? Insulation hanging from the ceiling.

[KSBisonFan]

I'm sure the NCAA with their emphasis on safety for student-athletes will fix this immediately. Paint that statement the darkest color purple with one of those really wide rollers and really slop it on there.

[THEsocalledfan]

The thing that always fascinates me is when a state university receives a major funding cut, often, they are not willing to do the right thing by closing programs. If you have a 30 million to 13 million dollar cut, you have to close programs, both academic and athletic. You need to tell that plainly to the legislators to make clear your plans, and if they follow through on cuts, you follow through on cuts. Instead, many colleges cave to the political pressure of not making tough choices and put it on the back of the students and under fund things they can't put on the students. I just don't agree with this.

So, I really question Grambling on this. If anyone has read in detail on this thing, just what have they shut down if they lost 17 million in funding? Or did they basically make "across the board cuts" without tough choices? This team has clearly been mistreated even if on full rides and I am firmly on their side. Better the shutter your program than treat players like this.

[BisonEngrGirl]

I can't believe anyone signed up to be part of the program. Didn't they notice these things when they visited the school or talked to current athletes during recruiting? It's not right to have sub-standard facilities, but come on, don't go to school there if you don't think it's safe! The mold and run-down weight room didn't happen overnight...

Sent from my HTC Rezound using Tapatalk 2

[gotts]

Then this happened:

http://www.lostlettermen.com/grambling-editor-fired-for-leaked-pics/

[bisonaudit]

The thing that always fascinates me is when a state university receives a major funding cut, often, they are not willing to do the right thing by closing programs. If you have a 30 million to 13 million dollar cut, you have to close programs, both academic and athletic. You need to tell that plainly to the legislators to make clear your plans, and if they follow through on cuts, you follow through on cuts. Instead, many colleges cave to the political pressure of not making tough choices and put it on the back of the students and under fund things they can't put on the students. I just don't agree with this.

So, I really question Grambling on this. If anyone has read in detail on this thing, just what have they shut down if they lost 17 million in funding? Or did they basically make "across the board cuts" without tough choices? This team has clearly been mistreated even if on full rides and I am firmly on their side. Better the shutter your program than treat players like this.

It sounds line they've cut some undergrad and graduate offerings but I'm not conversant in the details. I have read that in LA, 25% of a schools state funding is tied to student retention and graduation rates. Grambling isn't losing money because they're not making the metrics though. At least not yet. Perversely, that sort of metric, imposed by the state, may be inhibiting schools from cutting programs.

Fully, 50% of the state government's short fall last year was met by cutting higher ed.

To me the answer is clear, the people in charge in LA simply don't value education.

[THEsocalledfan]

To me the answer is clear, the people in charge in LA simply don't value education.

I'd be their worst nightmare if I was a president. Problem is, I would not last as I am not political enough as would piss off every politician by making sure everyone knows it is their fault that numerous programs are closing and I clearly told them the consequences ahead of time.....

[PattyBison]

To me the answer is clear, the people in charge in LA simply don't value education.

To me, it is a bit short sighting to blame this all on funding. In fact, a "benefit" (for lack of better term) of cutting funding, is that it tends to expose mismanagement. I think the lack of leadership during this conflict has been mindboggling. It has now spread to the student newspaper. But, I think this is much deeper than politics or money.

[bisonaudit]

To me, it is a bit short sighting to blame this all on funding. In fact, a "benefit" (for lack of better term) of cutting funding, is that it tends to expose mismanagement. I think the lack of leadership during this conflict has been mindboggling. It has now spread to the student newspaper. But, I think this is much deeper than politics or money.

Yep, the entirely predictable consequences of a 56% budget cut can 100% be chalked up to 'bad management.' There's no way it has anything to do with funding.

[PattyBison]

Yep, the entirely predictable consequences of a 56% budget cut can 100% be chalked up to 'bad management.' There's no way it has anything to do with funding.

Would you mind pointing out to me where I said that this had NOTHING to do with funding? Clearly, Grambling is struggling financially. I never disputed that. However, you have a President who let the situation completely spiral out of control. Have you listened to his interviews? He knew nothing about the conditions of the facilities, waited in his office all day and all night for someone to set up a meeting and they never did, allowed Grambling employees to get into Twitter wars with the student newspaper, played chicken with a bunch of 20 year olds and lost which damaged the credibility of the organization..... But geez, I guess that would all be fixed if LA throws money at the institution.

[bisonaudit]

Would you mind pointing out to me where I said that this had NOTHING to do with funding? Clearly, Grambling is struggling financially. I never disputed that. However, you have a President who let the situation completely spiral out of control. Have you listened to his interviews? He knew nothing about the conditions of the facilities, waited in his office all day and all night for someone to set up a meeting and they never did, allowed Grambling employees to get into Twitter wars with the student newspaper, played chicken with a bunch of 20 year olds and lost which damaged the credibility of the organization..... But geez, I guess that would all be fixed if LA throws money at the institution.

"Throw money at the situation." What a fucking joke.

The solution isn't to throw money at Grambling. The solution is not to cut their budget 56% in the first place. But the people running LA, have gone all honeybadger on education. They don't care! They're actively working to destroy public education in their state. If I were the President of Grambling facing 56% budget cuts, my weight room would look like crap, too. The state of the football program is sad, but those consequences are nothing compared to the havoc those idiots are inflicting on the next generation of Louisianians.

[PattyBison]

"Throw money at the situation." What a fucking joke.

The solution isn't to throw money at Grambling. The solution is not to cut their budget 56% in the first place. But the people running LA, have gone all honeybadger on education. They don't care! They're actively working to destroy public education in their state. If I were the President of Grambling facing 56% budget cuts, my weight room would look like crap, too. The state of the football program is sad, but those consequences are nothing compared to the havoc those idiots are inflicting on the next generation of Louisianians.

Well, ok. You won't acknowledge anything but funding, that's fine. I think President Pogue is a joke. In fact, if funding is such an issue, why did he drive an expansion that increased Grambling from 375 to 572 acres LAST YEAR? Today, they fired the online editor of the student newspaper and suspended another editor, and then overturned both actions later in the day. But I guess that is all due to funding too. Oh, and if my funding had been cut that much and I was president, I would have suspended the football program until proper conditions could be supported.

Anyway, I'm out for this argument. Best of luck on the funding wars.

[bisonaudit]

Well, ok. You won't acknowledge anything but funding, that's fine. I think President Pogue is a joke. In fact, if funding is such an issue, why did he drive an expansion that increased Grambling from 375 to 572 acres LAST YEAR? Today, they fired the online editor of the student newspaper and suspended another editor, and then overturned both actions later in the day. But I guess that is all due to funding too. Oh, and if my funding had been cut that much and I was president, I would have suspended the football program until proper conditions could be supported.

Anyway, I'm out for this argument. Best of luck on the funding wars.

I don't know the first thing about President Pogue. I'm not going to pretend that I do. Maybe he's a terrible manager, maybe he's great at his job, maybe he's just average. I have no idea. But in the face of a 56% reduction in funding I think you'd be hard pressed to find any manager you couldn't make look bad if that's what you wanted to see.

If what you're saying about the administration firing editors at the student newspaper is true. My immediate reaction to that, with no other context is that, that is a terrible management decision that is inconsistent with the values a University should be promoting.

Even if I did know enough to have a real opinion about President Pogue's performance, it wouldn't change my thoughts on the position the state Legislature and the Governor have taken toward K-12 and higher eduction.

[BlueBisonRock]

Is this just a Grambling issue or does it (funding and how the funding cuts have been handled, status of and condition of the institutions football teams) extend to the rest of the University of Louisiana system (which includes the following institutions)

Grambling State University, Grambling
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston
McNeese State University, Lake Charles
Nicholls State University, Thibodaux
Northwestern State University, Natchitoches
Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of New Orleans

Focusing on the system can quickly tell us if the problem is a direct result of the Governor and his cuts or if Grambling has done a poor job in handling the cuts and conditions relative to its peers.

[bisonaudit]

Funding for higher Ed in LA hasn't been this low since JFK was president.

The President of LSU says the situation is unsustainable, they can't retain faculty and wages are lower than any peer institution in the South. So it's not just Grambling.

The whole system has faced the 4th deepest cuts and 10th steepest tuition increases. Arizona is the only other state worse on both counts, topping both lists.

[Hammerhead]

Maybe Grambling was the only school to offer them a scholarship and that scholarship was the only chance they had to get a college education?


I can't believe anyone signed up to be part of the program. Didn't they notice these things when they visited the school or talked to current athletes during recruiting? It's not right to have sub-standard facilities, but come on, don't go to school there if you don't think it's safe! The mold and run-down weight room didn't happen overnight...

Sent from my HTC Rezound using Tapatalk 2

[missingnumber7]

Is this just a Grambling issue or does it (funding and how the funding cuts have been handled, status of and condition of the institutions football teams) extend to the rest of the University of Louisiana system (which includes the following institutions)

Grambling State University, Grambling
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston
McNeese State University, Lake Charles
Nicholls State University, Thibodaux
Northwestern State University, Natchitoches
Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of New Orleans

Focusing on the system can quickly tell us if the problem is a direct result of the Governor and his cuts or if Grambling has done a poor job in handling the cuts and conditions relative to its peers.

LSU not part of the system?


One of the articles posted said something about scaring boosters/donations away because they were going to be spread equally across athletics and not being allowed to be earmarked for football. Sounds to me like someone needs to set up the Eddie Robinson Grambling Football Excellence fund.

[BlueBisonRock]

LSU not part of the system?


One of the articles posted said something about scaring boosters/donations away because they were going to be spread equally across athletics and not being allowed to be earmarked for football. Sounds to me like someone needs to set up the Eddie Robinson Grambling Football Excellence fund.

There are three public four year university systems in Louisiana. The University of Louisiana system, Louisiana State University system, and the Southern University system. Each has a number of affiliates.

[bisonaudit]

There are three public four year university systems in Louisiana. The University of Louisiana system, Louisiana State University system, and the Southern University system. Each has a number of affiliates.

And they've all been gutted by huge funding cuts from the state government over the last 6 years.

[BlueBisonRock]

And they've all been gutted by huge funding cuts from the state government over the last 6 years.

Yet, none of the others have forfeited a football game and faced a player mutiny.

No argument regarding the funding cuts. Since there are a number of other DI programs included in the listings, I simply believe there is more to this story. I also do not expect any more to be stated as the Grambling team is playing again - under their third coach this year. My hat is off to Doug Williams who was one of a number of alumni who sat down with the team and asked them to get the program back on track.

[THEsocalledfan]

My hat is off to Doug Williams who was one of a number of alumni who sat down with the team and asked them to get the program back on track.

THAT showed a good man with character. I just may forgive him for the 1987 NFC title game. (although, Darren Nelson should have caught the Wilson pass that hit him between the 2 and the 0)

[BisonTeacher]

THAT showed a good man with character. I just may forgive him for the 1987 NFC title game. (although, Darren Nelson should have caught the Wilson pass that hit him between the 2 and the 0)

I hate you for reminding me of that.

[Gully]

I hate you for reminding me of that.

At least we have this year's great Vikings team to che........er wait, nevermind.

[NFH Schlüssel]

I read that Jackson State plans to sue Grambling to "recoup" the losses from homecoming.

Isn't that like trying to get water from a stone?