Report: Grambling State to play Saturday despite players' no-show at practice

Grambling's 17-game losing streak has already seen head coach Doug Williams fired and now has given rise to player protests. (Max Faulkner/Fort Worth

Grambling's 17-game losing streak has already seen head coach Doug Williams fired and now has given rise to player protests. (Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT via Getty Images)

Grambling State's game against Jackson State scheduled for Saturday will go on as planned despite mass upheaval among Grambling players surrounding treatment of the roster and other administrative decisions, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports.

On Tuesday night, university officials met with Grambling's football team to show support for the FCS Southwestern Athletic Conference program, which is in the midst of a 17-game losing streak and fired its coach, Doug Williams, two weeks into the season.

Tuesday evening, GSU president Frank Pogue, athletic director Aaron James and Student Government President Jordan Harvey met with the team to show support for the 0-7 start.

But losing is just part of the team’s frustrations. Among the issues raised in the meeting were long bus trips to Kansas City and

Indianapolis

, and the firing of head coach Doug Williams earlier this season.

Players voiced frustration with the school's leaders and abruptly walked out of the meeting. On Wednesday the team did not show up for practice, and Grambling's regular practice on Thursday was canceled.

According to Matt Vines of The Times in Shreveport, La., interim coach George Ragsdale has been fired, with defensive coordinator Dennis Winston named interim coach. Winston is the school's third head coach in five weeks.