UP Gazette

Houghton County spent $2,401,148 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, a decrease of 3.9% from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 20.1% of all spending for sports teams at the Michigan Technological University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Houghton County have grown 208.6% 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	$2,401,148	20.1%
2022	$2,499,839	18.2%
2021	$0	0%
2020	$2,456,273	19.5%
2019	$2,088,596	17.2%