Galesburg Reporter

Knox County spent $610,950 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 40.4% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 11.2% of all spending for sports teams at the two universities in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Knox County have grown 181.4% 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	$610,950	11.2%
2022	$435,300	12.6%
2021	$0	0%
2020	$315,925	9.4%
2019	$293,069	9.2%