Auburn Times

Lee County spent $71,635,159 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 37.1% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 39% of all spending for sports teams at the Auburn University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Lee County have grown 102.1% 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	$71,635,159	39%
2022	$52,254,828	35.6%
2021	$51,651,237	40.2%
2020	$45,953,519	35.5%
2019	$47,846,261	36.1%