Pac-12 football: The most-watched Week 0/1 games
The first two weeks (sort of) of college football are behind us. Week 0 didn’t have a ton of games, but Week 1 was a full-blown slate that kicked off on Thursday and finally ended on Labor Day evening.
SuperWest Sports compiled a ranking of the most-viewed college football games in the Pac-12 and Mountain West from the first two weeks, and the top answer is not surprising. However, some of the other notable matchups are surprising, and seeing Fresno State vs. Cal Poly being at the bottom of the list is another interesting note.
Let’s examine some notable Pac-12 television ratings from the Week 0 and Week 1 games:
WASHINGTON VS. KENT STATE: 319,000 VIEWERS
Sep 3, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kent State Golden Flashes running back Bryan Bradford (31) rushes against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The first game of the Kalen DeBoer era was a hit as over 300,000 people tuned in to see the Huskies make easy work of Kent State. The pressure is on for DeBoer.
ARIZONA VS. SAN DIEGO STATE: 921,000
Sep 3, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Wildcats fans look on from the stands during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Snapdragon Stadium got an unfortunate opening as San Diego State lost to Arizona. However, nearly 1 million tuned in to watch this game, which is somewhat surprising considering the Wildcats won just one game last year.
COLORADO VS. TCU: 1.25 MILLION
Colorado quarterback J.T. TCU linebacker Dee Winters in the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Buffaloes and TCU Horned Frogs faced off on Friday night in Boulder. It was all TCU in the second half, and a packed Folsom Field went home in disappointment. Yet, 1.25 million watched this.
OREGON STATE VS. BOISE STATE: 1.25 MILLION
Sep 3, 2022; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers inside linebacker Jack Colletto (12) avoids the tackle of Boise State Broncos cornerback Tyric LeBeauf (22) during the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The Beavers had a tough draw against Boise State, but they got the better of the Broncos. This game had the same number of viewers as Colorado-TCU.
UTAH VS. FLORIDA: 2.95 MILLION
Sep 3, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) and Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) meet after a game at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Utah vs. Florida was a terrific showdown in Gainesville. The Utes had been pegged as a College Football Playoff team, and Florida held their own and watched Anthony Richardson put the Gators on his back. Nearly 3 million tuned in for this showdown.
OREGON VS. GEORGIA: 6.20 MILLION
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 03: Adonai Mitchell #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs catches a pass for a touchdown over Christian Gonzalez #0 of the Oregon Ducks during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 3, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Dan Lanning faced his former employer in the reigning national champions of college football, Georgia. This one crushed the other games and doubled Utah-Florida. For the record, Michigan-Colorado State brought in 3.93 million viewers, which is still nothing compared to this.
Sadly, Georgia blew out Oregon in a non-contest.
