Grambling State Tigers

The Grambling State Tigers carry one of HBCU sports' most iconic names onto the basketball court, playing at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center — named for the coach who built the program's golden era. Grambling holds a genuine national basketball championship in its history, a rare distinction for a small Louisiana program. After decades of near-misses, the Tigers finally broke through with their first NCAA Division I Tournament trip in 2024. It's a program built on history that is still adding new chapters.

Founded in 1901, Grambling State won the 1961 NAIA national championship under coach Fred Hobdy, still the only national college basketball title won by a Louisiana program. Hobdy's 572-288 record from 1957 to 1986 anchored eight SWAC regular-season titles during Grambling's transition through NCAA Division II and the NAIA. After that golden era, the Tigers won regular-season crowns again in 2018 and 2024, and the 2024 team finally delivered the program's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament berth by beating three-time defending champion Texas Southern for the SWAC title. That combination of a 1961 national title and a 2024 breakthrough bookends the Grambling State story.