In the past 10 years, football helmets have changed both inside and out. But, as the technology continues to improve, the price tags are growing larger.

"There is an economic factor that goes into the helmet selection," said Dr. Joseph Maroon of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Maroon is also the Pittsburgh Steeler's team neurosurgeon and one of the leading experts in head and neck injuries.

In the Ohio Valley, the added expense of next-generation football helmets hasn't kept schools from lining up to purchase the newer models.

Dwaine Rodgers, athletic director at Wheeling Park High School, said player safety is the No. 1 priority when the school decides what helmets to purchase every year.

"We're purchasing at least anywhere from 10, 15, 20 helmets a year," Rodgers said, adding that the school uses both the Riddell Revolution and the Riddell Revolution Speed- two helmets that have been proven to reduce concussions .

Maroon along with other doctors at UPMC were among the first to test the Revolution when it debuted in 2002. The helmet's design, including added jaw protection, was one of the biggest advancements football helmets have ever seen.

"It's the physical principle and physical laws of biomechanics that has led to the development of much better helmets and helmet protection," Maroon said.

Rudy Vavrock, head football coach at Bridgeport High School, said the school replaced every helmet just a few years ago to make sure that every play wears the best protection possible.

"I'd say the oldest helmet our varsity has is three years old," Vavrock said. "Maybe four."

Among the helmets used by high school players in West Virginia and Ohio are those made by Riddell and Schutt, the two main suppliers of football helmets.

The prices for Riddell helmets range from $145 for the VSR-4 -- a more tradition helmet -- to $250 for the Revolution Speed, the company's newest model. Schutt's different models range from $175 to $275.

A third helmet manufacturer, Xenith, is offering what some believe to be the most advanced model for $350.

As for what helmet is the best or which one provides the best protection, Maroon could not say. However, he did say they several of the newer, more advanced models, have been proven to lower concussion rates by 15-20 percent.

"I would want my boy, or whomever, to be in one of the newer helmets," he said.