Polk Times

Polk County spent $5,864,255 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 15.8% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 13.7% of all spending for sports teams at the five universities in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Polk County have grown 188.4% 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	$5,864,255	13.7%
2022	$5,064,181	13.2%
2021	$4,269,362	13.5%
2020	$4,434,346	13.6%
2019	$4,207,877	13.2%