College Football Television Ratings Show Why Realignment Is A Financial Success

It isn't hard to see what college football administrators were thinking when pursuing the realignment wave sweeping over the sport. Marquee matchups between big name programs that were previously uncommon are now a key part of the weekly schedule.

And fans are tuning in, in droves.

The highest rated game of Week 4 was USC-Michigan, with a massive 6.32 million viewers for the broadcast on CBS. That represented a 37% increase over Mississippi-Alabama in the same, 3:30pm Eastern Week 4 window, during the 2023 season. USC and Michigan hadn't played in the regular season since the 1950's, and hadn't met at all since they played in the Rose Bowl in 2004 and 2007.

Two of the biggest names in college football, playing conference games at one of the most legendary venues in sports. And a matchup that would never have happened, pre-2024. 

Sure enough, the second most highly rated game of the weekend was the Oklahoma Sooners' SEC Conference opener against the Tennessee Volunteers. Another in-conference game that wouldn't have been possible until this season.

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA - SEPTEMBER 21:  Defensive lineman Tyre West #42 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates his sack on quarterback Jackson Arnold #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners with defensive lineman Joshua Josephs #19 in the first quarter at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Norman, Oklahoma.  (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

College Football Realignment Making Waves

Utah-Oklahoma State, now a Big 12 matchup, drew 2.14 million viewers on Fox, and UCLA-LSU, though a non-conference game, also pulled in 2.73 million on ABC. 

It's no secret that viewers are most interested in elite programs playing meaningful games against each other. And despite the expanded playoff, these regular-season matchups mean something. Especially when they're unique and new. Maybe down the road the novelty factor of USC-Wisconsin or USC-Penn State being conference games will fade. 

But there are many more realignment games to follow this season. 

UCLA-Penn State, Michigan at Washington, Miami at Cal on Oct. 5. Ohio State-Oregon and Penn State-USC on Oct. 12. Georgia-Texas on Oct. 19. Oklahoma-Ole Miss and Illinois-Oregon on Oct. 26. Oregon-Michigan on Nov. 2. Florida-Texas on Nov. 9. Alabama-Oklahoma on Nov. 23. Oklahoma-LSU on Nov. 30.

This is why television contracts for college football conferences have increased so substantially as a result of realignment. New, marquee games almost every week that were typically rare before this season.

And it's going to continue, year after year. It might be odd to see Oregon and Maryland in the same conference. But those Oregon-Ohio State games are going to keep paying off for college football fans for years to come.