SW Arkansas Times

Columbia County spent $1,115,867 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 8.3% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 18% of all spending for sports teams at the Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Columbia County have grown 108.2% 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	$1,115,867	18%
2022	$1,029,953	17.3%
2021	$799,276	19.4%
2020	$975,692	19.8%
2019	$1,027,375	19.1%