UNC, ECU and UNC Charlotte spent $257K on football fireworks

By the numbers: Three North Carolina colleges spent more than $250,000 combined on fireworks during the 2025 season, per records obtained by investigative newsletter FOIAball.

• UNC Chapel Hill: $147,511
• East Carolina: $55,000
• UNC Charlotte: $54,900

Context: UNC's fireworks bill alone is about double the state's median household income of $73,958.

• It's the third-highest total of the programs FOIAball examined, behind only Ole Miss and Rutgers.
• Despite that spending, the Tar Heels struggled on the field, finishing the 2025 season with a losing record of 4-8 and no bowl appearance.

Yes, but: Football is by far the biggest monkeymaker at schools like UNC and UNC Charlotte, and accordingly, schools invest heavily into all areas of the sport.

What they're saying: A UNC athletics spokesperson did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Zoom out: UNC's fireworks price tag puts it far ahead in-state, while ECU and UNC Charlotte are spending at nearly identical levels.

• Spending varies widely among the nearly 40 schools analyzed, from more than $212,000 at Ole Miss to just a few thousand at smaller programs, but North Carolina schools are firmly in the middle of the pack.

The bottom line: Whether you're in Charlotte, Chapel Hill or Greenville, game day is increasingly about the spectacle, and the fireworks budget proves it.