Clay Reporter

Clay County spent $1,484,474 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 3.9% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 18.9% of all spending for sports teams at the two universities in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Clay County have dropped 5.8% since 2010.

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.

In 2022, after a decades-long fight, student athletes nationwide gained the right to profit from their names, likenesses, and images as a result of a flurry of new state laws and an NCAA policy change.

Year	Football Team's Expenditures	% from grand total sport team expenditures
2023	$1,484,474	18.9%
2022	$1,428,825	20.5%
2021	$1,771,426	24.1%
2020	$1,766,953	25.8%
2019	$1,609,670	23.7%