Most-watched college football games, by era
Nielsen average audience, one figure per telecast; a final or revised figure replaces a preliminary one. Composites, peaks, reach and self-reported figures do not chart.
3,569
eligible telecasts
updated 2026-10-08
Before Out-of-Home (1950–2020)
1
CFP National Championship - Ohio State vs Oregon
33,400,000
2
CFP National Championship - Alabama vs Georgia
28,440,000
3
Alabama Crimson Tide at Ohio State Buckeyes
28,270,000
4
Oregon Ducks at Florida State Seminoles
28,160,000
5
CFP National Championship - Alabama vs Clemson
26,180,000
6
CFP National Championship - Alabama vs Clemson
26,030,000
7
CFP National Championship - Clemson vs LSU
25,590,000
8
CFP National Championship - Alabama vs Clemson
25,280,000
9
Clemson Tigers at Ohio State Buckeyes
21,150,000
10
Washington Huskies at Alabama Crimson Tide
19,344,000
11
Ohio State Buckeyes at Clemson Tigers
19,237,000
12
Stanford Cardinal at Michigan State Spartans
18,640,000
13
Michigan State Spartans at Alabama Crimson Tide
18,552,000
14
Alabama Crimson Tide at Georgia Bulldogs
17,499,000
15
Oklahoma Sooners at LSU Tigers
17,210,000
16
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes
16,841,000
17
Washington Huskies at Ohio State Buckeyes
16,780,000
18
LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
16,640,000
19
Oklahoma Sooners at Alabama Crimson Tide
16,340,000
20
Oregon Ducks at Wisconsin Badgers
16,300,000
21
USC Trojans at Penn State Nittany Lions
15,740,000
22
Oklahoma Sooners at Clemson Tigers
15,640,000
23
Missouri Tigers at Auburn Tigers
14,350,000
24
Michigan Wolverines at Alabama Crimson Tide
14,000,000
25
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan State Spartans
13,900,000
26
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers
13,780,000
27
Georgia Bulldogs at LSU Tigers
13,700,000
28
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers
13,657,000
29
Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas A&M Aggies
13,590,000
30
Stanford Cardinal at Iowa Hawkeyes
13,552,000
31
Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers
13,550,000
32
Auburn Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
13,530,000
33
Georgia Bulldogs at Auburn Tigers
13,466,000
34
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Florida State Seminoles
13,250,000
35
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes
13,200,000
36
Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers
12,918,000
37
Alabama Crimson Tide at Missouri Tigers
12,800,000
38
Florida Gators at Alabama Crimson Tide
12,760,000
39
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
12,420,000
40
Florida State Seminoles at Alabama Crimson Tide
12,335,000
41
LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
11,900,000
42
Alabama Crimson Tide at LSU Tigers
11,543,000
43
Michigan Wolverines at Florida State Seminoles
11,461,000
44
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers
11,430,000
45
Clemson Tigers at Ohio State Buckeyes
11,400,000
46
UCF Knights at Baylor Bears
11,300,000
47
Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida Gators
11,093,000
48
LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
11,063,000
49
Michigan State Spartans at Ohio State Buckeyes
11,052,000
50
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Texas Longhorns
10,945,000
51
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
10,830,000
52
Ohio State Buckeyes at Virginia Tech Hokies
10,585,000
53
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
10,507,000
54
Alabama Crimson Tide at LSU Tigers
10,385,000
55
Mississippi State Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide
10,270,000
56
Georgia Bulldogs at Baylor Bears
10,220,000
57
Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma Sooners
10,155,000
58
Florida State Seminoles at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
10,150,000
59
Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio State Buckeyes
9,868,000
60
Michigan State Spartans at Iowa Hawkeyes
9,818,000
61
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Ohio State Buckeyes
9,759,000
62
Wisconsin Badgers at South Carolina Gamecocks
9,590,000
63
Auburn Tigers at Oklahoma Sooners
9,515,000
64
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
9,500,000
65
Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio State Buckeyes
9,430,000
66
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers
9,299,000
67
Louisville Cardinals at Clemson Tigers
9,294,000
68
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Georgia Bulldogs
9,290,000
69
Wisconsin Badgers at Penn State Nittany Lions
9,189,000
70
Ohio State Buckeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions
9,141,000
71
Auburn Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
9,132,000
72
Alabama Crimson Tide at LSU Tigers
9,110,000
73
Michigan State Spartans at Baylor Bears
9,090,000
74
Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers
8,964,000
75
Mississippi State Bulldogs at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
8,940,000
76
Oklahoma State Cowboys at Ole Miss Rebels
8,940,000
77
Michigan Wolverines at Florida Gators
8,761,000
78
Florida State Seminoles at Miami Hurricanes
8,740,000
79
Baylor Bears at Oklahoma Sooners
8,700,000
80
Duke Blue Devils at Texas A&M Aggies
8,690,000
81
Northwestern Wildcats at Ohio State Buckeyes
8,659,000
82
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Wolverines
8,650,000
83
LSU Tigers at Texas Longhorns
8,630,000
84
Texas A&M Aggies at Alabama Crimson Tide
8,455,000
85
Ole Miss Rebels at Florida State Seminoles
8,354,000
86
Miami Hurricanes at Florida State Seminoles
8,350,000
87
Auburn Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
8,242,000
88
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes
8,230,000
89
Alabama Crimson Tide at Ole Miss Rebels
8,169,000
90
Georgia Bulldogs at Clemson Tigers
8,140,000
91
Oklahoma Sooners at Ohio State Buckeyes
8,081,000
92
Navy Midshipmen at Army Black Knights
8,050,000
93
Wisconsin Badgers at Alabama Crimson Tide
7,967,000
94
Florida Gators at Alabama Crimson Tide
7,950,000
95
USC Trojans at Alabama Crimson Tide
7,944,000
96
Navy Midshipmen at Army Black Knights
7,940,000
97
North Carolina Tar Heels at Clemson Tigers
7,919,000
98
Oregon Ducks at Michigan State Spartans
7,898,000
99
LSU Tigers at Wisconsin Badgers
7,832,000
100
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at USC Trojans
7,736,000
Top 100 of 2,113 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-10-08 23:05 UTC
Panel + Out-of-Home (2020–2025)
1
Alabama Crimson Tide at Michigan Wolverines
27,760,000
2
CFP National Championship - Michigan vs Washington
25,050,000
3
CFP National Championship - Alabama vs Georgia
22,600,000
4
Ohio State Buckeyes at Georgia Bulldogs
22,450,000
5
CFP National Championship - Notre Dame vs Ohio State
22,100,000
6
TCU Horned Frogs at Michigan Wolverines
21,400,000
7
Ohio State Buckeyes at Oregon Ducks
21,100,000
8
Ohio State Buckeyes at Texas Longhorns
20,900,000
9
Ohio State Buckeyes at Clemson Tigers
19,150,000
10
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
19,070,000
11
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Alabama Crimson Tide
18,890,000
12
CFP National Championship - Alabama vs Ohio State
18,710,000
13
Texas Longhorns at Washington Huskies
18,400,000
14
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Penn State Nittany Lions
17,800,000
15
Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide
17,520,000
16
Texas Longhorns at Arizona State Sun Devils
17,300,000
17
CFP National Championship - Georgia vs TCU
17,220,000
18
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes
17,000,000
19
Cincinnati Bearcats at Alabama Crimson Tide
16,650,000
20
Utah Utes at Ohio State Buckeyes
16,630,000
21
Georgia Bulldogs at Texas Longhorns
16,600,000
22
Georgia Bulldogs at Michigan Wolverines
16,500,000
23
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
15,890,000
24
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Georgia Bulldogs
15,800,000
25
Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide
15,270,000
26
CFP First round - Ohio State vs Tennessee
14,680,000
27
Penn State Nittany Lions at Boise State Broncos
13,900,000
28
Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
13,400,000
29
Georgia Bulldogs at Texas Longhorns
13,190,000
30
Tennessee Volunteers at Georgia Bulldogs
13,060,000
31
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes
12,300,000
32
Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide
11,990,000
33
Michigan Wolverines at Iowa Hawkeyes
11,660,000
34
Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers
11,560,000
35
LSU Tigers at Georgia Bulldogs
10,890,000
36
Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Wolverines
10,700,000
37
Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida State Seminoles
10,660,000
38
Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas Longhorns
10,600,000
39
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Ohio State Buckeyes
10,530,000
40
Penn State Nittany Lions at Oregon Ducks
10,500,000
41
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers
10,370,000
42
Georgia Bulldogs at Florida State Seminoles
10,300,000
43
Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers
10,230,000
44
Penn State Nittany Lions at Utah Utes
10,190,000
45
Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
10,070,000
46
Colorado Buffaloes at Oregon Ducks
10,030,000
47
Michigan Wolverines at Iowa Hawkeyes
10,020,000
48
Ohio State Buckeyes at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9,980,000
49
Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio State Buckeyes
9,960,000
50
Tennessee Volunteers at Georgia Bulldogs
9,960,000
51
Ohio State Buckeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions
9,940,000
52
Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9,920,000
53
Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide
9,610,000
54
Missouri Tigers at Ohio State Buckeyes
9,600,000
55
Ohio State Buckeyes at Oregon Ducks
9,600,000
56
Baylor Bears at Ole Miss Rebels
9,500,000
57
Texas Longhorns at Texas A&M Aggies
9,450,000
58
Kansas State Wildcats at TCU Horned Frogs
9,410,000
59
Navy Midshipmen at Army Black Knights
9,400,000
60
Texas Longhorns at Michigan Wolverines
9,350,000
61
Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio State Buckeyes
9,320,000
62
Colorado State Rams at Colorado Buffaloes
9,300,000
63
Michigan Wolverines at Michigan State Spartans
9,290,000
64
Oregon Ducks at Washington Huskies
9,250,000
65
USC Trojans at LSU Tigers
9,200,000
66
LSU Tigers at Florida State Seminoles
9,170,000
67
Michigan Wolverines at Penn State Nittany Lions
9,160,000
68
Alabama Crimson Tide at Kansas State Wildcats
9,100,000
69
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers
9,090,000
70
Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida Gators
8,920,000
71
CFP First round - Clemson vs Texas
8,900,000
72
Georgia Bulldogs at Clemson Tigers
8,860,000
73
LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
8,820,000
74
Texas Longhorns at Alabama Crimson Tide
8,760,000
75
Georgia Bulldogs at Cincinnati Bearcats
8,720,000
76
Alabama Crimson Tide at Ole Miss Rebels
8,710,000
77
Tennessee Volunteers at Clemson Tigers
8,590,000
78
Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas A&M Aggies
8,330,000
79
Ohio State Buckeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions
8,270,000
80
Northwestern Wildcats at Ohio State Buckeyes
8,030,000
81
Baylor Bears at Oklahoma State Cowboys
8,020,000
82
BYU Cougars at Colorado Buffaloes
8,000,000
83
Oklahoma State Cowboys at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7,960,000
84
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Texas A&M Aggies
7,920,000
85
Alabama Crimson Tide at LSU Tigers
7,900,000
86
Oklahoma State Cowboys at Texas Longhorns
7,890,000
87
Oklahoma Sooners at Texas Longhorns
7,870,000
88
Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida Gators
7,860,000
89
Ole Miss Rebels at Penn State Nittany Lions
7,770,000
90
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Florida State Seminoles
7,750,000
91
Oregon Ducks at Ohio State Buckeyes
7,730,000
92
Pittsburgh Panthers at Michigan State Spartans
7,650,000
93
Auburn Tigers at Penn State Nittany Lions
7,610,000
94
Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma Sooners
7,600,000
95
Texas A&M Aggies at North Carolina Tar Heels
7,580,000
96
Army Black Knights at Navy Midshipmen
7,580,000
97
Alabama Crimson Tide at LSU Tigers
7,580,000
98
Clemson Tigers at Georgia Bulldogs
7,580,000
99
Florida State Seminoles at LSU Tigers
7,550,000
100
Colorado Buffaloes at TCU Horned Frogs
7,260,000
Top 100 of 871 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-10-08 23:05 UTC
Big Data + Panel (2025–current)
1
Miami Hurricanes at Indiana Hoosiers
30,100,000
2
CFP Quarterfinal: Rose Bowl - Alabama vs Indiana
23,900,000
3
Miami Hurricanes at Ohio State Buckeyes
19,000,000
4
CFP Quarterfinal: Sugar Bowl - Georgia vs Ole Miss
18,700,000
5
Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio State Buckeyes
18,330,000
6
Oregon Ducks at Indiana Hoosiers
18,000,000
7
Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide
16,860,000
8
Texas Longhorns at Ohio State Buckeyes
16,600,000
9
Oregon Ducks at Texas Tech Red Raiders
15,900,000
10
Miami Hurricanes at Ole Miss Rebels
15,800,000
11
Alabama Crimson Tide at Oklahoma Sooners
14,940,000
12
CFB Texas A&M–Miami
14,800,000
13
Ohio State Buckeyes at Texas Longhorns
13,990,000
14
Texas A&M Aggies at Texas Longhorns
13,040,000
15
Georgia Bulldogs at Tennessee Volunteers
12,580,000
16
Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers
11,310,000
17
LSU Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels
10,900,000
18
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Miami Hurricanes
10,800,000
19
Oklahoma Sooners at Alabama Crimson Tide
10,480,000
20
Texas Longhorns at Georgia Bulldogs
10,430,000
21
LSU Tigers at Clemson Tigers
10,400,000
22
Alabama Crimson Tide at Georgia Bulldogs
10,400,000
23
Ole Miss Rebels at Georgia Bulldogs
9,787,000
24
Texas Longhorns at Tennessee Volunteers
9,750,000
25
CFB Michigan–Oklahoma
9,700,000
26
Michigan Wolverines at Texas Longhorns
9,050,000
27
BYU Cougars at Texas Tech Red Raiders
8,990,000
28
Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Longhorns
8,732,000
29
Georgia Bulldogs vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
8,716,000
30
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at BYU Cougars
8,700,000
31
Oregon Ducks at Penn State Nittany Lions
8,500,000
32
Ole Miss Rebels at Florida Gators
8,290,000
33
Oklahoma Sooners at Michigan Wolverines
8,221,000
34
Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide
8,011,000
35
Alabama Crimson Tide at South Carolina Gamecocks
7,842,000
36
Army Black Knights at Navy Midshipmen
7,840,000
37
Army Black Knights vs Navy Midshipmen
7,840,000
38
Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators
7,790,000
39
Florida Gators at LSU Tigers
7,600,000
40
Penn State Nittany Lions at Clemson Tigers
7,600,000
41
LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
7,540,000
42
Wisconsin Badgers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7,421,000
43
Alabama Crimson Tide at Kentucky Wildcats
7,300,000
44
Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio State Buckeyes
7,190,000
45
Florida State Seminoles at Alabama Crimson Tide
7,000,000
46
Alabama Crimson Tide at Missouri Tigers
6,993,000
47
Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers
6,759,800
48
LSU Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels
6,700,000
49
Georgia Bulldogs at Auburn Tigers
6,689,000
50
Ole Miss Rebels at Oklahoma Sooners
6,554,000
51
Florida Gators at Miami Hurricanes
6,500,000
52
Vanderbilt Commodores at Alabama Crimson Tide
6,400,000
53
LSU Tigers at Oklahoma Sooners
6,380,000
54
Texas A&M Aggies at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
6,200,000
55
CFB Ole Miss–Tulane
6,200,000
56
Auburn Tigers at Oklahoma Sooners
6,100,000
57
TCU Horned Frogs at North Carolina Tar Heels
6,070,000
58
Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions
6,025,000
59
Miami Hurricanes at Florida State Seminoles
6,000,000
60
Virginia Cavaliers at Missouri Tigers
6,000,000
61
Ohio State Buckeyes at Iowa Hawkeyes
5,970,000
62
LSU Tigers at Vanderbilt Commodores
5,935,000
63
Ohio State Buckeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini
5,871,000
64
Clemson Tigers at LSU Tigers
5,755,000
65
Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers
5,700,000
66
Arkansas Razorbacks at Texas Longhorns
5,610,000
67
Indiana Hoosiers at Oregon Ducks
5,590,000
68
USC Trojans at Oregon Ducks
5,428,000
69
Virginia Tech Hokies at South Carolina Gamecocks
5,400,000
70
Kentucky Wildcats at Texas A&M Aggies
5,400,000
71
Tennessee Volunteers at Illinois Fighting Illini
5,380,000
72
Oregon Ducks at Iowa Hawkeyes
5,370,000
73
Missouri Tigers at Oklahoma Sooners
5,370,000
74
Michigan Wolverines at Nebraska Cornhuskers
5,300,000
75
Ole Miss Rebels at Mississippi State Bulldogs
5,230,000
76
Ohio State Buckeyes at Washington Huskies
5,229,000
77
Washington State Cougars at Washington Huskies
5,136,000
78
Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi State Bulldogs
5,080,000
79
USC Trojans at TCU Horned Frogs
4,920,000
80
North Carolina Tar Heels at TCU Horned Frogs
4,900,000
81
Texas A&M Aggies at Missouri Tigers
4,870,000
82
Boise State Broncos at Oregon Ducks
4,831,000
83
Oklahoma Sooners at Tennessee Volunteers
4,810,000
84
Ole Miss Rebels at Kentucky Wildcats
4,800,000
85
Clemson Tigers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
4,800,000
86
Tennessee Volunteers at Florida Gators
4,760,000
87
Louisville Cardinals at Ole Miss Rebels
4,695,000
88
Miami Hurricanes at Clemson Tigers
4,630,000
89
Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Wolverines
4,627,000
90
USC Trojans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4,600,000
91
Iowa Hawkeyes at Vanderbilt Commodores
4,600,000
92
Oregon Ducks at USC Trojans
4,570,000
93
Vanderbilt Commodores at Texas Longhorns
4,510,000
94
Wisconsin Badgers at Alabama Crimson Tide
4,500,000
95
Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan Wolverines
4,460,000
96
Florida Gators at Missouri Tigers
4,440,000
97
New Mexico Lobos at Minnesota Golden Gophers
4,430,000
98
Florida State Seminoles at Virginia Cavaliers
4,400,000
99
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
4,400,000
100
CFB James Madison–Oregon
4,400,000
Top 100 of 585 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-10-08 23:05 UTC