Asheville Reporter

Madison County's institution invested $1,651,354 on their football teams in 2023, an 11.3% increase in funding from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This represents 20.9% of all money invested on sport teams at Mars Hill University during 2023.

The average sports expenses at Madison County have grown 127.2% 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	$1,651,354	20.9%
2022	$1,483,095	21.6%
2021	$1,374,541	23.4%
2020	$1,313,078	24%
2019	$1,202,964	24.6%