MONEY BALL.

• Position: NC TREND >>> Sports business

College football is big business in North Carolina with the state's seven Football Bowl Subdivision schools spending more than $350 million on athletics annually. Trying to stay competitive with Alabama, Ohio State and other football powerhouses is a tough issue facing N.C. university leaders.

Here's a look at some football-related financials.

CONFERENCE PAYOUTS

Universities receive annual payouts from their conferences, mostly from TV contract revenue. North Carolina, N.C. State, Duke and Wake Forest universities are ACC members that received about $31 million each this year. Three other North Carolina universities are in smaller conferences. East Carolina received $7 million, while Appalachian State and UNC Charlotte each got less than $2 million.

WHO MADE THE NFL?

Number of players who made 2021 early season rosters

N.C. STATE 18

NORTH CAROLINA 13

DUKE 11

APPALACHIAN STATE 6

EAST CAROLINA 3

Source: NCAA | ncaa.com

ATHLETIC SPENDING Total operating expenses, including athletic student aid 2021 Change from 2016 North Carolina $101.9 million 7% N.C. State University 78.2 -2% East Carolina 43.7 -2% UNC Charlotte 37.7 15% Appalachian State 33.4 6% FOOTBALL SPENDING Football operating expenses, including athletic student aid 2021 Change from 2016 North Carolina $30.2 million 22% N.C. State University 21.7 -4% East Carolina 11.3 10% UNC Charlotte 10.2 -14% Appalachian State 9.8 31% Wake Forest and Duke universities don't disclose their athletic financials. SOURCE: Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database COLLEGE FOOTBALL STADIUMS IN NORTH CAROLINA (ranked by capacity) Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh 58,000 Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville 51,000 Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill 51,000 Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham 40,000 Truist Field...