Yakima Times

Kittitas County spent $1,754,867 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 13.3% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 20.3% of all spending for sports teams at the Central Washington University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Kittitas County have grown 129.6% 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	$1,754,867	20.3%
2022	$1,548,306	21.1%
2021	$1,159,914	19.9%
2020	$1,458,291	21%
2019	$1,448,915	20%