College Football TV Viewership Fell in September
Average audience numbers dropped 11 percent this September compared to the same period in 2025.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Football
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College football television ratings across the United States decreased 11 percent through September 2026 compared to the previous year. While individual broadcasts remain popular, overall viewership for FBS games has struggled to match the high engagement levels seen in 2025.
Why it matters
The decline reflects a cooling in total audience size compared to the 2025 season, when double-digit millions of viewers were more common for top-tier matchups. Networks are now looking toward upcoming high-profile conference schedules to drive a potential rebound in engagement.
FBS game broadcasts currently average 1.7 million viewers, while only two games have reached the 10 million viewer threshold this season. This is a significant shift from 2025, when 11 regular-season games surpassed that milestone.
The players
ESPN
This media network produces College GameDay and broadcasts a significant portion of the FBS college football schedule.
Nielsen
This audience measurement firm provides the standard data used to track television ratings for broadcast networks in the United States.
NBC
This national broadcaster is scheduled to televise the upcoming matchup between Miami and Notre Dame.
The details
Only two games have crossed the 10 million viewer mark during the 2026 season, including the Week 2 matchup between Texas and Ohio State, which drew 14 million viewers. This contrasts with the 2025 season, during which Week 1 alone saw four games exceed the 10 million viewer benchmark.
Timeline
September 2025 served as the baseline for the viewership comparison.
September 19, 2026 was the date of the Ole Miss vs. LSU game.
September 2026 provided the current reporting period for the data.
November 7, 2026 is the scheduled date for the Miami vs. Notre Dame broadcast.
Season Trajectory
The current 11 percent decline suggests the 2026 season may struggle to replicate the widespread viewership dominance of 2025. This shift forces networks to rely more heavily on high-stakes conference matchups in the coming months to stabilize the season's overall reach.
The data confirms that finding top-tier matchups remains critical for network prime-time slots, as evidenced by the 14 million viewers for the Texas-Ohio State game. Casual viewers can expect networks to prioritize high-profile conference games to drive future broadcast scheduling.
The takeaway
While general viewership is down, the persistent strength of elite head-to-head games suggests that fans remain highly selective with their viewing time. Viewers should expect networks to stack high-profile games in late-season slots to recover these aggregate audience losses.
What happens next
Networks are anticipating that viewer interest will climb as marquee SEC and Big Ten conference matchups intensify, with NBC's November 7, 2026 broadcast of Miami vs. Notre Dame serving as a key test for late-season engagement.
Further reading
For more on how ratings are shaping the current landscape, visit Football.
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