College football is evolving faster than ever - NIL deals, transfer portal chaos, coaching carousel drama - and yet, the sport’s popularity just keeps climbing. While fans and pundits debate what the game is becoming, the numbers tell a clear story: more people are watching than ever before.
And in a world where media rights drive the engine, eyeballs are currency. For programs like North Carolina, the question becomes: how do you stay relevant - or better yet, rise - in a landscape that’s shifting beneath your feet?
Let’s start with the viewership data. According to a recent breakdown of the 100 most-watched college football games in 2025, the sport is thriving.
Three seasons ago, only eight games topped the 10 million viewer mark. Last year?
That number jumped to 22. Games drawing over 4 million viewers have also surged - from 66 to 90.
That’s not just growth; that’s a sport pulling away from the pack. The top 10 college football games last season matched or even outdrew the Oscars.
Think about that. A Miami-Indiana national championship game drew 30 million viewers - nearly double the Oscars audience.
College football isn’t just surviving the chaos - it’s thriving in it.
But not everyone is riding that wave.
North Carolina made the top 100 list just once in 2025 - their season opener against TCU, which pulled in 6 million viewers and landed 50th overall. That’s a solid number, especially for an early-season game, but it’s also UNC’s only appearance on the list.
In 2024, they were shut out entirely. And in 2023, they had two games crack the top 100: the Mayo Bowl against West Virginia (3.9 million viewers, 69th) and the season opener against South Carolina (3.4 million).
Interestingly, both of those games featured Drake Maye and Omarion Hampton - and came at a far lower cost than what UNC shelled out for Bill Belichick and his staff this past season. The splashy hire brought headlines, but not necessarily the ratings bump some expected.
Let’s zoom out and look at how other programs are faring in terms of national exposure. Over the past three seasons, here’s how some key programs stack up in top-100 viewership appearances:
- Alabama (SEC): 13, 9, 11
- Ohio State (Big Ten): 10, 12, 9
- Miami (ACC): 7, 4, 2
- Clemson (ACC): 3, 3, 4
- Georgia Tech (ACC): 4, 4, 1
- South Carolina (SEC): 2, 4, 3
- Vanderbilt (SEC): 5, 2, 0
Yes, you read that right - Vanderbilt, long seen as an SEC bottom-dweller, has had more top-100 appearances than Clemson over the last two years. And South Carolina and Vandy combined for 11 regular-season conference games in the top 100.
That’s more than Miami, Clemson, and Georgia Tech could muster combined in regular-season ACC matchups (just 8 total). That stat alone helps explain why some ACC schools - including UNC - are actively exploring their options.
Digging deeper into the ACC’s 32 total appearances over the past three years, the breakdown is telling. Five came from College Football Playoff games (Miami with four, Clemson with one).
Six more came from bowl games and the ACC Championship. Seven were regular season matchups against SEC opponents.
Notre Dame - a frequent ACC dance partner - only shows up twice. And again, just eight came from ACC vs.
ACC regular-season games. That’s a visibility problem.
Now compare the conferences over the past three years in total top-100 games:
- SEC: 93, 82, 66
- Big Ten: 59, 56, 65
- ACC: 23, 20, 26
- Big 12: 12, 26, 24
The SEC remains the gold standard in exposure, even as its on-field dominance has started to show cracks. The Big Ten is right there with them, especially with its expanding national footprint.
The ACC? Still lagging behind - and not by a little.
Some argue that media companies can shape narratives with enough promotion, but that only goes so far. Vanderbilt didn’t get national attention because of a media push - they had a compelling team and a quarterback who captured attention.
Meanwhile, UNC’s season opener last year was given prime time treatment. ESPN hyped it.
It had the exclusive stage. And yet, it didn’t move the needle the way a Belichick-led debut might’ve been expected to.
That said, there’s opportunity on the horizon. Miami’s run to the national title game this season gives the ACC a rare boost of momentum.
And UNC’s 2026 schedule starts with a bang: TCU, Clemson, and Notre Dame. That’s a chance to make a national statement early - and get back into the conversation.
The SEC’s grip on the sport’s identity is still strong, especially in terms of viewership. But with some of its top programs faltering on the field, there’s an opening - a sliver of daylight - for a program like UNC to seize.
But they’ll need more than a big-name coach. They’ll need wins.
They’ll need stars. And they’ll need to show up in the moments that matter - the ones that draw millions of eyes.
Because in today’s college football world, attention isn’t just nice to have. It’s everything.