NE Kentucky News

Rowan County spent $1,179,563 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 6.8% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 12.6% of all spending for sports teams at the Morehead State University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Rowan County have grown 37.2% 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	$1,179,563	12.6%
2022	$1,104,139	12.4%
2021	$666,899	9.6%
2020	$1,082,756	13.4%
2019	$1,055,600	11.7%