Chippewa Valley Times

Eau Claire County spent $704,489 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 10.1% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 10.7% of all spending for sports teams at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Eau Claire County have grown 155.5% 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	$704,489	10.7%
2022	$639,902	12.7%
2021	$374,929	8.7%
2020	$491,704	12%
2019	$499,985	12.9%