Iowa-Iowa State draws 2.2 million viewers as college football ratings stay strong

Iowa's win over Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk Series averaged 2.2 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, as Week 2 college football ratings showed strong overall numbers despite some year-over-year declines in marquee matchups.

The Hawkeyes' victory in the annual rivalry game was part of a weekend that saw Ohio State-Texas set a Week 2 ratings record on ABC with 14 million viewers, while Michigan-Oklahoma pulled in 8.2 million on Fox's Big Noon Saturday.

What were the top college football TV ratings in Week 2?

Texas's comeback win over Ohio State averaged 14.0 million viewers on ABC, peaking at 16.4 million, according to ESPN PR. That made it the most-watched regular-season college football game on ESPN networks since Michigan and Ohio State in 2016, and the most-watched Week 2 game ever.

Michigan's win over Oklahoma on Fox averaged 8.2 million viewers, peaking at 11.1 million. That was up 31% from last year's Big Noon Saturday average.

Alabama and Kentucky drew 7.3 million viewers in the 3:30 p.m. window on ESPN, making it the third-most-watched game of the week. Missouri and Kansas averaged 3.1 million on Friday night on Fox, up 33% from the network's Friday average the previous week.

How did the Iowa-Iowa State game perform?

The Cy-Hawk matchup averaged 2.2 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, a solid number for a game that has become one of the state's most anticipated sporting events of the year.

Iowa's win over Iowa State continues the rivalry's tradition of drawing strong regional and national interest, with the game regularly landing among the most-watched college football contests of its weekend.

Why did Ohio State-Texas see a decline from last year?

Ohio State and Texas in primetime declined from last year's 16.6 million on Big Noon Saturday to 14.0 million on ABC this year. However, Michigan and Oklahoma also decreased from 9.7 million to 8.2 million moving from ABC primetime to Fox's noon slot.

Analysts note the comparisons are not perfect. Last year's Ohio State-Texas matchup was a Week 1 game with both pregame shows hyping the contest, while this year's version was in Week 2 and appeared headed for a blowout in the middle third, which may have dampened viewership.

Nielsen also updated its methodology this year, adding new co-viewing metrics and refinements to its Big Data measurement system. The NFL has already argued these changes will hurt its viewership numbers.

Does kickoff time matter for college football ratings?

Fox President of Insights and Analytics Michael Mulvihill noted the year-over-year decline for Ohio State-Texas on social media, raising questions about whether fans prefer noon windows over primetime.

But the combined audience for Fox's Big Noon matchups (24.8 million) barely edged out ABC's primetime games (23.7 million). Given the other variables at play, analysts say the evidence suggests fans will watch top games regardless of kickoff time.

What does this mean for college football viewership overall?

Through two weeks of the season, college football viewership remains strong, though it may not hit the same high ceilings as last year. The Oklahoma State upset over Oregon averaged 2.1 million viewers on ESPN, though that game had a delayed start due to rain and was moved to non-Nielsen-rated ESPNews to allow ESPN to air the women's US Open final.

For Iowa fans, the strong ratings for the Cy-Hawk game reinforce the rivalry's national appeal and the growing interest in college football across the state.