In 2024, Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, distributed $1,798,326 in financial aid linked to athletics, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
During 2024, 239 male and 99 female student-athletes competed for Delta State University across various sports. Male athletes received 140.4% more athletically related financial aid than their female counterparts.
The total athletically related financial aid at Delta State University rose by 4.1% compared to the previous year.
College football is one of the biggest sports in the U.S., with some college teams eclipsing NFL teams in terms of attendance and profit.
College athletics has entered a new era of athlete compensation after a federal settlement allowed schools to directly share revenue with players for the first time. The agreement also requires the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in back damages over 10 years to athletes who competed from 2016 to the present.
In 2022, after years of legal and legislative pressure, athletes also gained the right to profit from their names, images and likenesses through state laws and an NCAA policy change.
| Institution | Athletically Related Student Aid |
|---|---|
| Mississippi State University | $13,361,497 |
| University of Mississippi | $11,304,707 |
| University of Southern Mississippi | $5,670,216 |
| Mississippi College | $4,738,797 |
| William Carey University | $3,663,595 |
| Jackson State University | $3,495,182 |
| Alcorn State University | $3,014,167 |
| Delta State University | $1,798,326 |
| Blue Mountain College | $1,473,752 |
| Mississippi Valley State University | $1,242,383 |



