PHX Reporter

Maricopa County's 13 colleges invested $48,683,730 on their football teams in 2023, a 32.8% increase in funding from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This represents 25.2% of all money invested on sport teams at the 13 colleges in the county during 2023.

The average sports expenses at Maricopa County have grown 126.3% since 2010.

Arizona State University Campus Immersion stood out as the university in Maricopa County which received the most football funding during 2023. The institution received $43,280,984 — or 88.9% of all the money destined to football teams.

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	$48,683,730	25.2%
2022	$36,669,783	21.8%
2021	$30,083,311	20%
2020	$36,844,754	23.7%
2019	$31,436,241	20.7%