UP Gazette

Marquette County spent $2,390,383 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 12.9% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 17.2% of all spending for sports teams at the Northern Michigan University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Marquette County have grown 126.3% 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	$2,390,383	17.2%
2022	$2,116,332	16.8%
2021	$0	0%
2020	$2,117,375	18.6%
2019	$2,099,092	18.3%