Division I · Southern Conference
Mercer University Football
Macon, GA · the Bears · Mercer University overview
109
Roster
4 over the D-I cap of 105
$7.5M
Team budget
43rd percentile in Division I
$68,894
Per roster spot
median $79,762
11
Coaches
1 head · 10 assistant
961
APR
96% of players retained
66%
Admitted
upper half for selectivity
Mercer University fields a football team in the Southern Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 109 players, about the median of 119, with 1 head coach and 10 assistants. Team expenses were $7,509,501, below the median of $9.1M — $68,894 per roster spot, lower half of Division I football programs. Under the Division I roster cap of 105 in force from 2025-26, that is 4 over — cuts or attrition are likely, though players already on the roster may stay (230 of 261 Division I programs carried more than the cap). The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 961, about the median of 964, with 96% of players retained year to year. The school gave $6,775,291 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $23,607 per roster spot.
Among Division I football programs
Where this program sits against its 261 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#149Team budgetof 261 · Division I#142Spend per playerof 261 · Division I#215Roster sizeof 261 · Division I#139APRof 261 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I football program
Roster sizes (cap 105)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster109 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap105 4 over last season
- Coaching staff1 head, 10 assistant
- Team expenses$7,509,501 for the year
- Operating expenses$852,363 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$68,894 division median $79,762
- Academic Progress Rate961 multi-year; 970 latest
- Players retained96% year to year
- Eligible96% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$6,775,291 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$23,607 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$434,303 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Taylor head coach | Head Coach | On file · sign in |
| Sumner Ellis | Associate Head Coach / Defensive Line | On file · sign in |
| Austin Davis | Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator | On file · sign in |
Put Mercer University on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school football players1,029,588 2024-25
- Division I roster spots31,184 261 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 33 3.0% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the football recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →4,807undergraduates · 9,124 students in all
Women 66% Men 34%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Private · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →66%admitted · of 11,058 applicants
SAT middle 50%1180 – 1350
ACT middle 50%25 – 31
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 73%
Football
Full picture →109on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 105109
4 over — players already on the roster may stay
Academic Progress Rate961
96% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $7,509,501 $68,895 per roster spot · lower half of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 10 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $6,775,291
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $434,303
Cost
Full picture →$24,197net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $33,380
Campus safety
Full picture →2.03violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 3 burglaries · 49 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 1 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →21%of bachelor's degrees in health professions & nursing · 24 fields · Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research Mercer University
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Football program109 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions66% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$24,197 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsHealth professions & nursing · 21%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 4,807Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety2.03 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Football programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Valley State University Division II · Southern Intercol. Ath. Conf. | 25 | 113 | $1.1M | — | 63% | |
| Georgia State University Division I · Sun Belt Conference | 77 | 118 | $12M | 958 | 62% | |
| Morehouse College Division II · Southern Intercol. Ath. Conf. | 77 | — | — | — | 51% | |
| Clark Atlanta University Division II · Southern Intercol. Ath. Conf. | 77 | 101 | $3M | — | 65% | |
| Georgia Institute of Technology Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference | 78 | 120 | $43M | 978 | 16% | |
| University of Georgia Division I · Southeastern Conference | 79 | 135 | $71M | 969 | 37% | |
| LaGrange College Division III · USA South Athletic Conference | 82 | 105 | $468k | — | 63% | |
| Albany State University (Georgia) Division II · Southern Intercol. Ath. Conf. | 92 | 86 | $1.4M | — | — | |
| University of West Georgia Division I · United Athletic Conference | 98 | 156 | $3.5M | — | 49% | |
| Kennesaw State University Division I · Conference USA | 99 | 120 | $11M | 949 | 69% | |
| Auburn University Division I · Southeastern Conference | 108 | 121 | $59M | 980 | 50% | |
| Georgia Southern University Division I · Sun Belt Conference | 112 | 146 | $11M | 949 | 90% |
Other football programs in the Southern Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furman University 21 over cap | 126 | $8.4M | $67,034 | 978 | vs | |
| Mercer University 4 over cap | 109 | $7.5M | $68,894 | 961 | vs | |
| Wofford College 13 over cap | 118 | $7M | $59,479 | 984 | vs | |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 12 over cap | 117 | $6.5M | $55,931 | 942 | vs | |
| Samford University 7 over cap | 112 | $6.1M | $54,433 | 977 | vs | |
| Tennessee Technological University 6 over cap | 111 | $5.7M | $51,771 | 947 | vs | |
| The Citadel 14 over cap | 119 | $5.4M | $45,766 | 959 | vs | |
| Virginia Military Institute at cap | 105 | $5.4M | $51,376 | 962 | vs | |
| East Tennessee State University 2 over cap | 107 | $5M | $47,111 | 949 | vs | |
| Western Carolina University 15 over cap | 120 | $3.9M | $32,564 | 981 | vs |
Every Southern Conference football program · Football budgets ranked