Akron Reporter

Summit County spent $7,943,901 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 29.5% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 28.1% of all spending for sports teams at the University of Akron Main Campus, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Summit County have grown 22.9% 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	$7,943,901	28.1%
2022	$6,133,980	24.2%
2021	$5,208,310	25.1%
2020	$7,209,428	22.4%
2019	$8,186,577	23%