Des Moines Sun

Polk County spent $3,649,399 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, a decrease of 6.3% from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 11.1% of all spending for sports teams at the four universities in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Polk County have grown 89.9% 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	$3,649,399	11.1%
2022	$3,893,364	12.1%
2021	$3,228,505	11.4%
2020	$3,613,383	12.9%
2019	$3,163,220	11.6%