EC Oklahoma News

Cherokee County spent $1,545,429 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, a decrease of 3.3% from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 28% of all spending for sports teams at the Northeastern State University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Cherokee County have grown 54.9% 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	$1,545,429	28%
2022	$1,597,573	28.8%
2021	$1,571,384	29.7%
2020	$1,614,776	29.5%
2019	$1,552,371	27.6%