Division I · Ohio Valley Conference
Tennessee State University Football
Nashville, TN · the Tigers · Tennessee State University overview
109
Roster
4 over the D-I cap of 105
$6.9M
Team budget
40th percentile in Division I
$63,430
Per roster spot
median $79,762
12
Coaches
1 head · 11 assistant
947
APR
93% of players retained
93%
Admitted
bottom quarter for selectivity
Tennessee State University fields a football team in the Ohio Valley Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 109 players, about the median of 119, with 1 head coach and 11 assistants. Team expenses were $6,913,955, below the median of $9.1M — $63,430 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 947, about the median of 964, with 93% of players retained year to year. The school gave $3,084,636 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $14,688 per roster spot.
Among Division I football programs
Where this program sits against its 261 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#157Team budgetof 261 · Division I#155Spend per playerof 261 · Division I#215Roster sizeof 261 · Division I#203APRof 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, 11 assistant
- Team expenses$6,913,955 for the year
- Operating expenses$1,568,835 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$63,430 division median $79,762
- Academic Progress Rate947 multi-year; 918 latest
- Players retained93% year to year
- Eligible95% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$3,084,636 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$14,688 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$56,167 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Reggie Barlow head coach | Head Coach | not on file |
| Cedric Thornton | Associate Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator | On file · sign in |
| Dexter Jackson | Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Backs / Passing Game Coordinator | not on file |
Put Tennessee State 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 →6,765undergraduates · 8,198 students in all
Women 66% Men 34%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
- HBCU
- Yes
Getting in
Full picture →93%admitted · of 12,890 applicants
SAT middle 50%856 – 1068
ACT middle 50%16 – 21
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 34%
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 Rate947
93% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $6,913,955 $63,431 per roster spot · lower half of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 11 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $3,084,636
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $56,167
Cost
Full picture →$9,231net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $8,568 in-state · $22,284 out
Campus safety
Full picture →0.63violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 5 burglaries · 6 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 0 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →19%of bachelor's degrees in business · 21 fields · Associate's, Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research Tennessee State 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 divisionAdmissions93% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$9,231 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsBusiness · 19%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 6,765Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety0.63 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Division I · Southeastern Conference | 2 | 116 | $44M | 984 | 6% | |
| Middle Tennessee State University Division I · Conference USA | 34 | 149 | $13M | 985 | 68% | |
| Austin Peay State University Division I · United Athletic Conference | 39 | 108 | $5.5M | 941 | 96% | |
| Western Kentucky University Division I · Conference USA | 60 | 112 | $11M | 962 | 97% | |
| Tennessee Technological University Division I · Southern Conference | 74 | 111 | $5.7M | 947 | 83% | |
| University of the South Division III · Southern Athletic Association | 84 | 90 | $881k | — | 51% | |
| Murray State University Division I · Missouri Valley Football Conference | 89 | 110 | $4M | 962 | 86% | |
| Alabama A&M University Division I · Southwestern Athletic Conf. | 97 | 146 | $4.4M | 924 | 66% | |
| University of North Alabama Division I · United Athletic Conference | 105 | 126 | $3.9M | 965 | 96% | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College Division II · Great Midwest Athletic Conference | 110 | 112 | $1.8M | — | 67% | |
| University of Tennessee at Martin Division I · Ohio Valley Conference | 114 | 116 | $4M | 937 | 87% | |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Division I · Southern Conference | 116 | 117 | $6.5M | 942 | 77% |
Other football programs in the Ohio Valley Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State University 4 over cap | 109 | $6.9M | $63,430 | 947 | vs | |
| Eastern Illinois University 12 over cap | 117 | $5M | $42,816 | 930 | vs | |
| Gardner-Webb University 13 over cap | 118 | $4.5M | $38,508 | 961 | vs | |
| Charleston Southern University 21 over cap | 126 | $4.3M | $34,405 | 932 | vs | |
| Lindenwood University 5 over cap | 110 | $4.2M | $37,883 | — | vs | |
| University of Tennessee at Martin 11 over cap | 116 | $4M | $34,325 | 937 | vs | |
| Southeast Missouri State University room for 1 | 104 | $3.7M | $35,397 | 959 | vs | |
| Western Illinois University 9 over cap | 114 | $3.5M | $30,828 | 959 | vs |
Every Ohio Valley Conference football program · Football budgets ranked