Jonesboro Times

Craighead County spent $8,952,854 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 21.3% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 36.3% of all spending for sports teams at the Arkansas State University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Craighead County have grown 115.6% 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	$8,952,854	36.3%
2022	$7,377,781	35.1%
2021	$5,601,494	31.2%
2020	$7,208,166	34.5%
2019	$7,789,945	37.6%