Wiregrass Times

Pike County spent $8,719,986 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 0.2% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 30.3% of all spending for sports teams at the Troy University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Pike County have grown 89.5% 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	$8,719,986	30.3%
2022	$8,705,292	30%
2021	$6,561,118	28.3%
2020	$8,129,799	29.6%
2019	$8,571,387	26.2%