Fayetteville Standard

Washington County spent $53,940,683 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 17.3% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 31.5% of all spending for sports teams at the University of Arkansas, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Washington County have grown 138.1% 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	$53,940,683	31.5%
2022	$45,994,950	31%
2021	$34,383,745	30.8%
2020	$43,552,590	35%
2019	$43,162,670	32.4%