At Least There’s No Debating College Football’s Most-watched Team
This weekend marks the start of the bowl season for college football, with tens of millions of viewers tuning in over the holiday break to watch postseason games. When the 2023 season was reviewed, some teams and matches drew more viewers to the television than others.
Now that the majority of the key viewership figures are available (mostly because of data from Sports Media Watch), the findings verify that fans still prioritize watching rivalries and prestigious programs.
That’s why, In this article, we will explore the impact of the most-watched team in college football and the future of the sport.
The Most-Watched Team in College Football
The popularity of certain teams in college football is a significant factor in the sport’s success. In 2023, the most-watched team in college football was the Alabama Crimson Tide, averaging 7.12 million viewers per game.
At Least There’s No Debating College Football’s Most-watched Team. Alabama was the most-watched college football team in 2023. However, Michigan Ohio-State was still the most-watched game.
The Top 10 most-watched teams included three from the SEC, two each from the Big Ten and Pac-12, one each from the ACC and Big 12, and Notre Dame.
Here is the updated list of top 10 most-watched teams:
- Alabama 7.12M (11 games)
- Ohio State 6.05M (11)
- Colorado 6M (9)
- Georgia 5.9M (11)
- Michigan 5.61M (12)
- Tennessee 4.57M (7)
- Oregon 4.43M (10)
- Texas 4.26M (12)
- Florida State 4.16M (12)
- Notre Dame 4.15M (10)
Colorado is an example in this case, having gained national attention under first-year head coach Deion Sanders. Football Scoop reports that the Buffaloes’ games were the third and seventh most watched of the season.
- Ohio State-Michigan: 19.07M (Fox)
- Georgia-Alabama (SEC Championship): 17.52M (CBS)
- Colorado-Oregon: 10.03M (ABC)
- Michigan-Iowa (Big Ten Championship): 10.02 million (Fox)
- Ohio State-Notre Dame: 9.98M (NBC)
- Penn State-Ohio State: 9.96M (Fox)
- Colorado State-Colorado: 9.3M (ESPN)
- Oregon-Washington (Pac-12 Championship): 9.25M (ABC)
- LSU-Florida State: 9.17M (ABC)
- Michigan-Penn State: 9.16M (Fox)
Non-college Football Playoff bowl games saw an average viewership of a little over 3 million last year. More than 20 million watched the CFP semifinals, while just 17 million watched the national championship.
This conversation demands a hefty qualifier.
When discussing every team in the 150-year history of the sport, disagreements are both expected and understandable. There is no inarguable way to compare the many, many thousands of teams in a game that has continually evolved over time.
For this ranking, we focused on undefeated teams that won a national title, Yes, one-loss teams can be excellent, and the process of determining a champion has never been perfect. But some of those candidates are listed in the honorable mentions.
Future of College Football
The most popular teams in college football and their popularity will continue to influence the sport’s future. As realignment and consolidation continue to take shape, new competitive opportunities and difficulties may present themselves. The success of college football will always be greatly influenced by the level of popularity of particular teams.
College football’s future is unclear, but the success of some clubs will likely influence how the game develops in the future. Conferences may try to include or keep popular programs to boost attendance and income.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
What is the greatest college football team ever?
- Alabama. The kings of college football thanks to a pair of historic dynasties led by Bear Bryant and then Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide are 1st all-time with 18 national championships, 3rd with a
Who has the most meetings in college football?
The Lafayette–Lehigh rivalry, known as “The Rivalry,” is the most-played in Division I at 159 games. Lehigh and Lafayette are members of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The most-played Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) series is the Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry, at 133 games.
What is the biggest beat in college football history?
On Saturday, Oct. 7, 1916, Georgia Tech’s football team beat Cumberland 222-0. Quite simply, it is the biggest beatdown in the history of college football.
What is the most popular college football rivalry?
The granddaddy of all college football rivalries is the University of Michigan vs. Ohio State University. These two midwestern Big Ten powerhouses have been at it since 1897, with the Wolverines and Buckeyes meeting for “The Game” around Thanksgiving weekend for over a century.
What is the oldest college football team?
First, the TL/DR version: The first college football game was played in 1869 between Rutgers University and the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University).
What is the oldest football rivalry?
The NFL’s oldest rivalry does not include the Packers. Rather, it’s the Bears and Arizona Cardinals, and it began here in Chicago in 1920. That rivalry will play out again December 24 at Soldier Field.
Who is number 1 in mens football?
The FIFA Men’s World Ranking is a ranking system for men’s national teams in association football, led by Argentina as of April 2024. The men’s teams of the member nations of FIFA, football’s world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest.
What is TCU ranked?
Texas Christian University is ranked #98 out of 439 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.
Who is Georgia’s biggest rival?
The Florida–Georgia football rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the University of Florida Gators and the University of Georgia Bulldogs, both members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference.
