College Football TV Ratings Down 11% Through October Despite Upsets

College football TV audiences are down 11% through October. Broadcasts are averaging 1.6 million viewers across Nielsen-rated networks over 402 games, compared with 410 games in the first nine weeks of 2025. That matches September's 11% drop, but Fox Sports executive Michael Mulvihill says total minutes watched are up 2%. Texas vs. Ohio State is still the biggest draw at 14 million viewers in Week 2. Georgia-Alabama (12.2 million) and Ohio State-Indiana (10.4 million) are among the four games to reach 10 million, down from 11 such games in the 2025 regular season.