East Kentucky Times

Pike County spent $2,022,548 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 13.1% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 22.5% of all spending for sports teams at the University of Pikeville, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Pike County have grown 225.1% 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	$2,022,548	22.5%
2022	$1,788,318	22.6%
2021	$1,710,381	24.6%
2020	$1,730,739	24.4%
2019	$1,539,739	22.5%