In a season dominated by the “SEC on ABC,” FOX “Big Noon Saturday” topped the college football ratings charts for just the second time over the weekend.
Nebraska-Ohio State scored a 3.1 rating and 5.96 million viewers on the latest edition of FOX “Big Noon Saturday,” the most-watched college football game of the weekend and up 53% and 66% respectively from Oklahoma-Kansas last year (2.0, 3.60M).
The Buckeyes’ closer-than-expected win, which peaked with 9.46 million viewers, was just the second “Big Noon” game this season to top a college football weekend, joining Texas-Michigan in week two.
ABC was not far behind with a 3.0 and 5.54 million for Missouri-Alabama in its midday window, more-than-double BYU-Texas on the network a year ago (1.3, 2.38M). Versus the comparable “SEC on CBS” window last season — Georgia-Florida — ratings were flat and viewership actually slipped 7% from 5.95 million.
For just the second time this season, the network’s 3:30 PM ET game outperformed its primetime window, as LSU-Texas A&M drew a 2.7 and 5.06 million. The other occasion also involved LSU, when their primetime matchup with Missisippi (2.3, 4.24M) trailed the Texas-Oklahoma Red River Rivalry (3.9, 7.63M). Those two LSU games are the least-watched primetime SEC windows on ABC this season.
Ratings still increased a tick and viewership 9% from Colorado-UCLA last year (2.6, 4.66M).
Notre Dame-Navy opened the ABC tripleheader with a 1.6 and 2.79 million, up 30% and 34% respectively from FSU-Wake Forest a year ago (1.2, 2.09M).
Returning to Big Ten action, NBC drew a 1.8 and 3.34 million for Penn State-Wisconsin — down 31% from Ohio State-Wisconsin last year (2.6, 4.87M) — and CBS a 1.5 and 2.75 million for Illinois-Oregon, down more than 50% from last year’s previously mentioned Georgia-Florida game. Airing immediately following Game 1 of the World Series, FOX drew a 1.1 and 2.01 million for Rutgers-USC Friday night.
Big Ten Network drew a 0.8 and 1.73 million for Michigan State-Michigan, the most-watched primetime game ever on the network (which became Nielsen rated in 2018) — ahead of ESPN’s Florida State-Miami game in the same window (0.8, 1.53M). BTN also drew a 0.6 and 1.07 million for Washington-Indiana, which was the site of ESPN’s College Gameday, up nearly fourfold from Maryland-Northwestern a year ago.
Cable topped out at a 1.4 and 2.60 million for Oklahoma-Mississippi on ESPN, up 37% from South Carolina-Texas A&M last year (1.1, 1.90M). Cincinnati-Colorado drew a 1.3 and 2.34 million, up 60% and 67% respectively from last year’s Oregon State-Arizona game (0.8, 1.40M).
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