Topeka Sun

Shawnee County spent $2,190,230 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 9.5% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 24% of all spending for sports teams at the Washburn University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Shawnee County have grown 133.9% 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	$2,190,230	24%
2022	$2,000,462	23.4%
2021	$1,602,146	21.4%
2020	$1,661,822	22.4%
2019	$1,720,702	22.5%