Memphis Standard

Shelby County spent $20,661,446 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 16.5% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 26.2% of all spending for sports teams at the five universities in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Shelby County have grown 80.3% 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	$20,661,446	26.2%
2022	$17,730,535	25.1%
2021	$14,113,109	24.6%
2020	$21,446,039	29.4%
2019	$18,436,516	27.7%