Impact
By the Numbers
Numbers of Countries Represented
Number of Tennessee High Schools Represented
Number of States Represented
Number of Majors Represented
Number of Scholarships Provided to Student Athletes
Number of Colleges (Majors) Represented
It means a lot have the opportunity to represent TSU at a high level. It's an honor being the only HBCU in the OVC. I love being apart of new culture we're trying to build here in our program. This school has always been a winning culture and it feels great to be apart of the restart of the basketball culture. Our fans and supporters are great. They love to come out and see us perform and there's nothing like playing in the Gentry center. My overall experience has been great and I'm looking forward to finishing out my career here.
Cost of Athletics
$497,989
Equipment, Gear, Uniforms
$298,090
Sports Medicine, Training Room
$514,838
Team Travel
$117,166
Academic Services
(Advisors, Tutors, Etc.)
$140,500
Athletic Performance, Weight Training
$534,970
Game Expenses
Average Annual Cost Per In-State Scholarship Student-Athlete versus Out of State Student-Athlete:
In-State Tution, Room, Board, Books
Regular Dorm:
$18,633
Hale/Rudolph:
$18,883
Apartment:
$21,219
Out of State Tuition, Room, Board, Books
Regular Dorm:
$31,989
Hale/Rudolph:
$32,239
Apartment:
$31,989
Success in Academics
8
% of TSU sports programs that had a GPA of 3.0 and above
71%
GSR
3.49
Current Cumulative GPA of TSU Student-Athletes
12
How many TSU student-athletes in total have recognized as Academic Medal of Honor
5
How many programs saw an increase in cumulative GPA
11
How many student-athletes posted a perfect GPA
63
How many TSU student-athletes in total have been named on the all OVC Academic Team Commissioner's Honor Roll
Success in Athletics
All-OVC
- Football - 39 (Plus One Player of the Year)
- Men's Basketball - 10
- Women's Basketball - 5
- Volleyball - 8 (Plus One Defensive Player of the Year)
- Men's Indoor Track & Field - 16 Individual Championships (Plus Five Athletes of the Year)
- Women's Indoor Track & Field - 13 Individual Championships (Plus Seven Athletes of the Year)
- Men's Outdoor Track & Field - 14 Individual Championships (Plus One Athlete of the Year)
- Women's Outdoor Track & Field - 11 (Plus Four Athletes of the Year)
- Men's Tennis - 2
- Softball - 1
All-Americans
- Football - 17 (Plus One Player of the Year)
- Women's Track & Field - 2
Football
- Midwest Athletic Association / Midwest Conference / Midwestern Conference (13) - (1946, 1947, 1949, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)
- Ohio Valley Conference (2) - (1998, 1999)
Black College National Champions (13)
- (1946, 1947, 1954, 1956, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1981, 1982, 2013)
NCAA Division I-AA (FCS) Playoffs (6)
- (1981, 1982, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2013)
Men's Basketball
- Ohio Valley Conference (3) - (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95)
NAIA National Championships (3)
- (1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59)
Women's Basketball
- Ohio Valley Conference (3) - (1993-94, 1994-95, 2014-15)
Volleyball
- Ohio Valley Conference (2) - (2005, 2007, 2022)
Women's Indoor Track & Field
- Ohio Valley Conference (5) - (2002, 2003, 2008, 2014, 2016)
Women's Outdoor Track & Field
- Ohio Valley Conference (4) - (2001, 2002, 2008, 2015)
Ralph Boston
- 1960 NCAA National Champion - Long Jump
Football
- Richard Dent (Pro Football Hall of Fame - 2011)
- Claude Humphrey (Pro Football Hall of Fame -2014)
Basketball
- Dick Barnett (National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame - 2007)
Tigerbelles
- Wilma Rudolph - United States Olympic Hall of Fame and National Track & Field Hall of Fame
- Ralph Boston - National Track & Field Hall of Fame
- Chandra Cheeseborough - National Track & Field Hall of Fame
- Mae Faggs - National Track & Field Hall of Fame
- Edith McGuire - National Track & Field Hall of Fame
- Wyomia Tyus - National Track & Field Hall of Fame
- Martha Watson - National Track & Field Hall of Fame
- Willye B. White - National Track & Field Hall of Fame
Football
- John Merritt - (College Football Hall of Fame - 1994)
Basketball
- John McLendon - (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame - 1979 and 2016) and (National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame - 2006)
Track & Field
- Ed Temple - (United States Olympic Hall of Fame) and (National Track & Field Hall of Fame)
NFL (114)
NBA (18)
MLB (9)
NFL (4)
NBA (1)
MLB (0)
31 Tigerbelles; 1 Flying Tiger
Paralympic - 1 Flying Tiger
30 Medals (16 Gold; 8 Silver; 6 Bronze)
27 Tigerbelles; 3 Flying Tigers
Paralympics - 2 Flying Tigers
16 Gold Medals (15 - Tigerbelles; 1 - Flying Tigers)
Paralympics - 1 Flying Tiger
Donor Spotlight
The Tennessee State Athletic Fund (TSAF) is grateful for the support of its donors. The Donor Spotlight highlights premier stakeholders that have made an significant investment in helping to transform our sports programs. Learn about their stories and discover the inspiring reasons why they choose to support the Tennessee State Athletic Fund (TSAF).
For more information on ways to get involved with the TSAF, please email tsuathleticfund@tnstate.edu or contact (615)963-ROAR.
Robert Covington
The 2013 TSU graduate says the University played a major role in his personal and professional development, and now he will play a pivotal role in helping to develop its future basketball program at the “Covington Pavilion.”