Dr. William Downs, President | Gardner-Webb University
Dr. William Downs, President | Gardner-Webb University
This represents 26.6% of all money invested on sport teams at the two colleges in the county during 2023.
The average sports expenses at Cleveland County have dropped 35.9% since 2010.
Gardner-Webb University stood out as the university in Cleveland County which received the most football funding during 2023. The institution received $3,779,828 — or 100% 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 | $3,779,828 | 26.6% |
| 2022 | $4,173,712 | 22.7% |
| 2021 | $3,575,144 | 23.9% |
| 2020 | $3,295,756 | 23.4% |
| 2019 | $2,949,145 | 23% |
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