Ad Disclosure
There were a couple of highly anticipated matchups for this year’s College Football Playoff semifinals.
So why wasn’t anyone watching?
Here’s a glimpse at how the overnight television ratings came out:
Overnights: 9.9 for Cotton and 9.7 for Orange. Last year's semis were 15.5 for the early game and 15.3 for the late one.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) January 1, 2016
The verdict?
Making fans choose between watching football and celebrating New Year is not a good idea.
While I’m sure the lopsided score in the Alabama-Michigan State game contributed to people turning the television off to celebrate the New Year, this is an important thing to monitor.
Ratings equal money, and we all know that money rules college football.
Most fans were against the decision to play these games on New Year’s Eve, and maybe the drop in television ratings will prompt College Football Playoff executives to listen to their viewers for future seasons.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
