College football’s TV audience is off to a strong start in 2026, and Nielsen’s first most-watched teams list shows exactly which programs are driving the numbers.
The Buckeyes lead the way after their Week 2 showdown with Texas drew nearly 14 million viewers, giving Ohio State the No. 1 spot in Nielsen’s debut Top 10. The rankings are based on average viewership across games aired on ABC, CBS, The CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, NBC, TNT and USA Network. Big Ten Network is not included, and neither are partial or regional telecasts.
Texas sits right behind Ohio State at No. 2, boosted by the Longhorns’ rally from a 23-3 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Buckeyes 24-23. Arch Manning threw a touchdown in the final frame, and Hollywood Smothers added two rushing scores, including the winner.
Oklahoma lands at No. 3 after its Week 2 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor, a game that drew more than 8.2 million viewers. The Wolverines forced two turnovers, including a fourth-quarter interception of John Mateer that set up the go-ahead touchdown, and held on for the 17-10 upset when Oklahoma’s last drive stalled in the final minute.
Wisconsin checks in at No. 4 thanks to its Labor Day weekend meeting with Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, which averaged more than 7.4 million viewers on NBC. That total does not include the 683,000 who watched on Peacock. The Badgers kept it close early, but Notre Dame pulled away after halftime and won 41-13.
Kentucky is fifth after its Week 2 game against Alabama drew 7.28 million viewers on ABC. The Wildcats traded pick-sixes with the Crimson Tide early before Alabama took control after halftime and rolled to a 45-17 win in Lexington.
Michigan comes in at No. 6, helped by its win over Oklahoma and its season-opening victory over Western Michigan. The Wolverines’ Week 2 game against the Sooners was the second-most watched game of the week, while the opener drew 4.11 million viewers on average.
Clemson and LSU are tied at No. 7 after their delayed Week 1 opener still turned into one of the biggest draws of the young season, averaging 5.8 million viewers. Clemson’s offense struggled after kickoff in Baton Rouge, while LSU followed that up with a win a week later ahead of its Week 3 game against North Carolina.
Alabama lands at No. 9 after appearing in one of the top 10 most-watched games in each of the first two weeks. The Crimson Tide’s win over Kentucky was the biggest draw through Week 2, and Keelon Russell finished 16-of-23 for 188 yards and a touchdown with three turnovers. Daniel Hill led the ground game with 104 yards and a touchdown.
North Carolina rounds out the list at No. 10 after its season-opening win over TCU averaged 4.9 million viewers on ESPN, the most-watched game of Week 0. The Tar Heels fell behind 10-3 in the first quarter, then answered with 12 straight points to win 15-10 and open Year 2 of the Belichick era. Billy Edwards Jr. went 16 of 28 for 232 yards, and Jelani Thurman caught four passes for 94 yards.
On3 will continue tracking the most-watched teams throughout the 2026 season using Nielsen TV ratings data through the regular season.
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