College Football TV Ratings: Top 10 most-watched games of the 2023 season
Throughout the 2023 season, college football saw a surge in TV ratings. The year featured plenty of high-profile storylines and the most-watched national championship since 2018, and the teams that generated the most conversation were atop the top 10 most-watched games of the year.
Michigan generated no shortage of discussion this year as Jim Harbaugh served two separate suspensions. All the while, the Wolverines rattled off a run to their first national championship since 1997 as part of a 15-0 season, and their three biggest games drew the highest viewership of the season. The most-watched game, of course, was the Rose Bowl against Alabama, which turned out to be Nick Saban’s last game before his retirement.
The “Coach Prime” effect was also on full display as Colorado — despite late-season struggles — played in one of the most-watched games of the year, according to Sports Media Watch. The Buffaloes were a TV ratings darling as the story of college football’s first half, and their loss to Oregon had the second-highest viewership of the regular season.
1. Rose Bowl — Michigan vs. Alabama
Channel: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
Date/Time: Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET
Viewers: 27.76 million
After two previous losses in the College Football Playoff, Michigan finally got a victory — and it came against Nick Saban and Alabama. It was just the second time the Rose Bowl went to overtime, and it also would mark the end of Saban’s legendary coaching career as he left the field one final time.
2. College Football Playoff National Championship — Michigan vs. Washington
Channel: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
Date/Time: Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 25.05 million
After 26 years, Michigan finally got back to the mountaintop, knocking off Washington in the most-watched national championship since 2020. The Wolverines pulled away in the second half to come away with their 15th victory, and the conversation is now shifting to Jim Harbaugh’s future in Ann Arbor after finally winning a title.
3. Michigan vs. Ohio State
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Nov. 25, noon ET
Viewers: 19.07 million
To get to the national championship, Michigan had to make the Big Ten Championship, and that road went through Columbus for “The Game” against Ohio State. For the third consecutive year, the Wolverines defeated their bitter rival, marking the first time they’ve accomplished such a streak since 1996-98.
4. Sugar Bowl — Washington vs. Texas
Channel: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
Date/Time: Jan. 1, 9 p.m. ET
Viewers: 18.77 million
Viewership for the Sugar Bowl was down compared to previous College Football Playoff semifinals, but Washington’s thrilling victory over Texas came in as the fourth-most watched game of the year. It came down to the final play as the Longhorns rallied, but a great defensive play by Elijah Jackson saved the day and sent the Huskies to the national championship.
5. SEC Championship — Alabama vs. Georgia
Channel: CBS
Date/Time: Dec. 2, 4 p.m. ET
Viewers: 17.52 million
Prior to this year’s SEC Championship, Georgia hadn’t lost a game since the 2021 game against Alabama. This time, it was Nick Saban who got the better of Kirby Smart for what proved to be the final time as he retired with an 11-1 career record in the SEC title game.
6. Orange Bowl — Georgia vs. Florida State
Channel: ESPN
Date/Time: Dec. 30, 4 p.m. ET
Viewers: 10.39 million
After missing out on the College Football Playoff — with plenty of discussion — Georgia and Florida State squared off in the Orange Bowl. With so much conversation about whether either team deserved to make the four-team field, the matchup drew the sixth-best TV ratings of the college football season even despite a lopsided Bulldogs victory over a depleted Seminoles team.
7. Colorado vs. Oregon
Channel: ABC
Date/Time: Sept. 23, 3:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 10.03 million
Colorado vs. Oregon was one of the most notable games of the season as the red-hot Buffaloes took on the Ducks, who were looking to compete for a Pac-12 Championship. The Ducks ultimately came away with the victory, but it proved to be the most-watched game of one of the biggest days of the college football season.
8. Big Ten Championship — Michigan vs. Iowa
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Dec. 2, 8 p.m. ET
Viewers: 10.02 million
It was all Michigan in the Big Ten Championship against Iowa as the Wolverines clinched a third straight College Football Playoff appearance. The Wolverines handled the Hawkeyes with ease en route to the 26-0 victory, and even though it was the second-least viewed Big Ten title game in history, it still came in the top 10 most-watched games of the year.
9. Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
Channel: NBC
Date/Time: Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 9.98 million
One of two Sept. 23 games to appear on the list, Notre Dame and Ohio State squared off in an instant classic at Notre Dame Stadium. It came down to the final play, which saw Chip Trayanum punch in the game-winning touchdown as time expired to give the Buckeyes a huge victory early in the year — and it came in front of nearly 10 million people in a massive ratings win for NBC.
10. Penn State vs. Ohio State
Channel: FOX
Date/Time: Oct. 21, noon ET
Viewers: 9.96 million
In Ohio State’s second-most important game of the year behind The Game, the Buckeyes welcomed Penn State to The Horseshoe as the Nittany Lions looked to play spoiler in a crowded Big Ten East. Ultimately, Ryan Day’s group pulled off the 20-12 victory to get past its second hurdle of the season and add another top-15 victory to its resume.
The surge in TV ratings was one of the most notable parts of 2023 as part of an exciting college football season. It also marked the last year before the sport goes through sweeping changes — from the 12-team College Football Playoff, to conference realignment to the greatest of all time opting to leave the sideline.