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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
David A. Lieb

States are pouring taxpayer dollars into college sports as athlete pay squeezes budgets

NIL Football Division I NCAA the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Fans line up prior to the start of the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Maryland Terrapins at Carmichael Arena on March 22, 2026 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina - (Getty Images)

Regardless of the score, the North Carolina Tar Heels will already be in elite company when they kick off the college football season against Texas Christian University.

They will be among a small but growing number of athletic programs receiving taxpayer funding from their home states.

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