In 2024, Southwest Minnesota State University of Marshall distributed $1,261,081 in financial aid connected to athletics, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The university’s athletic programs featured 213 male and 134 female student-athletes competing across various sports in 2024. Male athletes received 16.5% more financial aid than their female counterparts at Southwest Minnesota State University.
Athletically related financial aid at Southwest Minnesota State University rose by 12% 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 |
|---|---|
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | $17,703,130 |
| University of St. Thomas | $6,713,231 |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato | $3,234,096 |
| Saint Cloud State University | $2,932,347 |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | $2,735,327 |
| Concordia University-Saint Paul | $2,361,804 |
| Bemidji State University | $2,252,726 |
| Winona State University | $1,699,313 |
| University of Minnesota-Crookston | $1,470,842 |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead | $1,446,258 |
