Findlay Times

Hardin County spent $769,339 on men's collegiate football teams in 2023, an increase of 12.1% over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This translates to roughly 13.5% of all spending for sports teams at the Ohio Northern University, the only institution in the county during the 2023 season.

The average sports expenses at Hardin County have grown 187.7% 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	$769,339	13.5%
2022	$686,148	13%
2021	$694,193	15.7%
2020	$896,066	17.2%
2019	$822,136	17.5%