Tri-City Sun

Midland County spent $2,163,845 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 4.3% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 24.1% of all spending for sports teams at the Northwood University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Midland County have grown 60.7% 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	$2,163,845	24.1%
2022	$2,073,784	23.1%
2021	$0	0%
2020	$2,079,778	22.6%
2019	$2,079,188	21.8%