Grand Junction Times

Mesa County spent $1,452,306 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 15.7% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 11% of all spending for sports teams at the Colorado Mesa University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Mesa County have grown 158.3% 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	$1,452,306	11%
2022	$1,255,063	10.9%
2021	$1,195,511	13.2%
2020	$1,403,137	14.2%
2019	$1,272,847	12.4%