GTR Times

Oktibbeha County spent $32,951,736 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 13.2% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 29% of all spending for sports teams at the Mississippi State University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Oktibbeha County have grown 212.9% 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	$32,951,736	29%
2022	$29,101,940	28.8%
2021	$22,941,021	27.7%
2020	$30,506,617	30.7%
2019	$24,026,197	25.7%