The HBCU Attendance Conversation Needs to Change

The 2026 college football season is just getting started and the attendance conversation is in full effect.

According to the latest NCAA attendance report, 10 HBCU programs are among the nation’s top 21 in accumulated attendance, with the SWAC accounting for seven of those programs.

Grambling leads the HBCU contingent, ranking No. 5 nationally with 20,012 in accumulated attendance. Alabama State follows at No. 9 with 18,678, while Jackson State ranks No. 10 with 16,726. North Carolina A&T is No. 11 nationally with 16,264, followed by Norfolk State at No. 13 with 15,572. Southern ranks No. 14 with 15,094, while Florida A&M comes in at No. 16 with 14,047. Alabama A&M ranks No. 18 nationally with 13,634 in accumulated attendance. The Bulldogs currently sit sixth among the SWAC programs represented in the rankings, trailing Grambling, Alabama State, Jackson State, Southern and Florida A&M. Prairie View A&M follows at No. 19 with 12,546, while South Carolina State rounds out the HBCU programs in the Top 21 at No. 21 with 12,000.

The current HBCU attendance rankings are:

Grambling — 20,012

Alabama State — 18,678

Jackson State — 16,726

North Carolina A&T — 16,264

Norfolk State — 15,572

Southern — 15,094

Florida A&M — 14,047

Alabama A&M — 13,634

Prairie View A&M — 12,546

South Carolina State — 12,000

Those numbers are encouraging, but they also give us another opportunity to have the wrong conversation about HBCU football attendance.

Instead of asking why an HBCU doesn’t draw as many fans as an SEC or Big Ten program, let’s ask how HBCU programs stack up against other FCS institutions.

That is a much more meaningful comparison.

The Question Should Be: Are We Improving?

That’s the conversation HBCU athletics should be having. Are attendance numbers increasing? Are alumni coming back? Are students attending? Are fans buying season tickets? Are homecoming games selling out? Are programs creating better game-day experiences? Are schools making it easier and more affordable for families to attend? Are athletic departments effectively marketing their football programs?

Those questions can actually lead to meaningful change. And there is plenty of room for HBCU programs to improve.

HBCU football doesn’t need to apologize for being HBCU football. It needs to continue building. Build the fan bases. Build the facilities. Build the game-day experience. Build the alumni engagement. Build the financial support. Build the television and media presence. And yes, build attendance.

But let’s measure that growth intelligently. The goal shouldn’t simply be to look at an HBCU’s attendance numbers and compare them to schools operating in completely different conferences, divisions and financial environments. The goal should be to look at where HBCU programs are today, where they were yesterday, and where they are headed tomorrow.

Compare HBCUs to their FCS peers. Measure year-over-year growth, look at the trends, look at the investment, look at the engagement. And then ask the most important question:

Are we getting better?

Because that’s the conversation that can actually help HBCU football grow.