Erie County’s three colleges invested $4,730,719 on their football teams in 2023, a 17% decrease in funding from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
This represents 15.6% of all money invested on sport teams at the three colleges in the county during 2023.
The average sports expenses at Erie County have grown 74.7% since 2010.
Mercyhurst University stood out as the university in Erie County which received the most football funding during 2023. The institution received $2,505,224 — or 53% 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 | $4,730,719 | 15.6% |
| 2022 | $5,698,243 | 16.5% |
| 2021 | $4,213,860 | 14.2% |
| 2020 | $5,280,850 | 15% |
| 2019 | $5,203,470 | 15.8% |
