1976 Grambling State Tigers football team

1976 Grambling State Tigers football
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Record	8–4 (4–2 SWAC)
Head coach	Eddie Robinson (34th season)
Home stadium	Grambling Stadium
Seasons ←  1975 1977  →

1976 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. T–8 Alcorn State $	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Southern	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Grambling State	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Prairie View A&M	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Jackson State	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Mississippi Valley State	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Texas Southern	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1976 Grambling Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Grambling State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. In its 34th season under head coach Eddie Robinson, Grambling State compiled an 8–4 record (4–2 against conference opponents), finished in second place in the SWAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 313 to 202.

The game played in September in Tokyo against Morgan State was the first regular-season NCAA game played in Japan. ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	vs. Alcorn State	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA	L 0–24	12,000–22,000	[5] [6]
September 18	at Temple *	Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA	L 30–31	16,646	[7]
September 23	vs. Morgan State *	Korakuen Stadium Tokyo, Japan	W 42–16	50,000	[8]
October 2	at Hawaii *	Aloha Stadium Halawa, HI	W 34–23	20,891–26,000	[9]
October 9	Tennessee State *	Grambling Stadium Grambling, LA	L 20–34	16,221	[10] [11] [12]
October 16	at Mississippi Valley State	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	W 20–7	5,231	[13]
October 23	Jackson State	Grambling Stadium Grambling, LA	W 28–6	14,443	[14]
October 30	at Texas Southern	Houston Astrodome Houston, TX	W 54–21	31,625	[15]
November 6	vs. North Carolina A&T *	Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac, MI	W 34–18	23,606–23,607	[16]
November 13	Norfolk State *	Grambling Stadium Grambling, LA	W 41–19	12,171	[17]
November 27	vs. Southern	Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA (Bayou Classic)	W 10–2	76,188	[18]
December 4	Prairie View A&M	Grambling Stadium Grambling, LA (rivalry)	L 0–1 (forfeit)		[19]
*Non-conference game

^[20]

References

Notes

1. Despite incorrect reporting otherwise, ^[1] this was not the first college football game played outside the Western Hemisphere by any stretch. Japan universities began forming their own college football teams since 1934. ^[2] In 1971, the Utah State Aggies became the first American college football team to play in Japan, in a series of games against teams of Japan's college all-stars. ^{[3] [4]} January 1976 saw the beginning of the Japan Bowl, a post-season college football all-star game played in Japan each January from 1976 to 1993. However, this was the first time two NCAA football teams played each other in Japan, presaging the Mirage Bowl which began in 1977.

Citations

1. "Coaches see football in Japan". The Baltimore Afro-American. October 5, 1976. p. 16. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
2. History of American Football in Japan, Japan American Football Association, accessed May 28, 2024.
3. Kaz Nagastuka, Coaches recall trail-blazing '71 Utah State visit, The Japan Times, January 20, 2016.
4. Bobak Ha'Eri, /r/CFB Reporting: Mills Bowl IV is this Saturday: What to know about the team from Japan and notes from the ground at Southern Oregon, /r/CFB, May 3, 2024.
5. "Grambling draws blanks". The Shreveport Times. September 12, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Final 1976 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Alcorn State)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 18, 2023.
7. "Temple tips Grambling on late pass". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 19, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Grambling crunches Morgan". The Baltimore Sun. September 24, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Tigers out-control Bows". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. October 3, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. Jones, David (October 10, 1976). "Tennessee State Takes Victory from Grambling". The Tennessean . Nashville, Tennessee. p. 1D. Retrieved February 26, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
11. Jones, David (October 10, 1976). "TSU (continued)". The Tennessean . Nashville, Tennessee. p. 4D. Retrieved February 26, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
12. "Tennesse State takes victory over Grambling". The Daily Advertiser. October 10, 1976. Retrieved February 25, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Grambling comes back to beat Valley State 20–7". The Clarion-Ledger. October 17, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Grambling explodes for 28–6 victory". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. October 24, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Grambling rips". The Shreveport Times. October 31, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Grambling wows 'em at Silverdome, 34–18". Detroit Free Press. November 7, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
17. "Grambling rips Norfolk State". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 14, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
18. "Grambling prevails". Daily World. November 28, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
19. "Grambling considers SWAC withdrawal". The Shreveport Journal. December 14, 1976. Retrieved March 18, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
20. "Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grambling State)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved November 19, 2022.