North Iowa Reporter

Winnebago County spent $1,394,971 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, a decrease of 42.1% from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 13.2% of all spending for sports teams at the Waldorf University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Winnebago County have grown 413.1% 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	$1,394,971	13.2%
2022	$2,410,442	29.4%
2021	$2,075,864	28.9%
2020	$1,694,182	28.4%
2019	$1,410,254	27.5%