Hard Times for Grambling Football
COSTELLO: Grambling State football has been a prestige program among historically black colleges and universities. Under legendary head coach, Eddie Robinson, the Tigers won more than 400 games and sent more than 200 players into pro football, including Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams. But this is not Eddie Robinson's school right now. Nor was it Doug Williams who was fired as head coach this season. CNN's Alina Machado has more for you.</s>ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They boycotted a game and made national headlines. But members of the Grambling State football team say they have no regrets.</s>NAQUAN SMITH, GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY PLAYER: There are many problems that exist. And if no one says anything, nothing will become of our institution.</s>MACHADO: On Monday Naquan Smith, surrounded by his teammates, said the team will take the field this Saturday against Texas Southern, a week after refusing to play Jackson State.</s>SMITH: We did not quit on our university.</s>MACADO: This Twitter account belonging to the Tigers safety shows several pictures of moldy walls and ceilings, broken equipment and flooring -- their caption, "See Our Struggle". The tweets seem to highlight some of the problems detailed in this grievance letter sent to university administrators by the players. The letter lists a series of concerns about the state of the university's football program. It also cites the firing of head coach, Doug Williams after just two games this season.</s>EMMETT GILL, STUDENT ATHLETES HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT: The conditions within the Grambling State University athletic department specifically football are pretty dire.</s>MACHADO: Emmett Gill says he toured the university's weight room Tuesday afternoon and saw first hand some of the problems noted by the student athletes.</s>GILL: The gap between the haves and the have-nots is certainly exacerbated by a lot of the budget cuts that we're facing and higher education.</s>MACHADO: According to university spokesperson, Will Sutton, Grambling State has seen a 57 percent drop in state funding in recent years. The school has millions of dollars in deferred maintenance. So many buildings and facilities are either closed or in dire need of repairs. Sutton says this is the first time they've asked athletics to contribute to the bottom line including a $75,000 cut in the football program. The university meanwhile could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines for forfeiting last Saturday's game. It's unclear if the football players will be punished but Gill says players from the bigger programs should take note.</s>GILL: I think that student athletes in the SEC, the ACC, the PAC-12 should take notice that when it comes to standing up for student athletes right, Grambling State University is ranked number one.</s>MACHADO: In a new development this morning, Jackson State University posted on its Web site -- that's the school that was suppose to play Grambling last week. They're saying they're going to be pursuing legal action to recover some the losses. Carol, they say the losses to the university and the city could be in the millions for that forfeited game.</s>COSTELLO: It's just so unusual because usually universities football programs bring in all this money or that's what we always hear, right? But in this case, no.</s>MACHADO: That is correct. And Jackson State in their statement said that these issues are not unusual or not something that are new to the program that they've heard about. That they're well documented. We'll just have to wait to see what happens.</s>COSTELLO: Not every school is Ohio State, right.</s>MACHADO: Correct.</s>COSTELLO: Right. Alina Machado, thanks so much. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Poppy Harlow sits down with billionaire Warren Buffett and his family. Taking on quite a challenge too -- we'll tell you what it is when we come back.