Youngstown Times

Mahoning County spent $4,705,366 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 11.2% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 23.2% of all spending for sports teams at the Youngstown State University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Mahoning County have grown 71.2% 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	$4,705,366	23.2%
2022	$4,230,772	23.8%
2021	$3,792,946	25.3%
2020	$4,478,597	27.5%
2019	$4,349,972	26.8%