Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame to claim their first national championship since 2014 should have been the crowning achievement of the College Football Playoff’s expanded 12-team format. Instead, the championship game saw a noticeable dip in viewership, with only 22.1 million people tuning in. While this still makes it the most-watched non-NFL sporting event of the past year, it falls significantly short of the 25 million viewers who watched Michigan face Washington in last year’s championship.
The game peaked at 26 million viewers, a respectable figure by most standards, but it’s a far cry from the 28 million peak achieved during the 2023 title game. Analysts are questioning whether the expanded playoff format, which many hoped would breathe new life into college football, is having the opposite effect. The drop in viewership could indicate fan fatigue or a loss of interest due to the timing of the championship game, which aired later in the calendar year.
The matchup itself might also have contributed to the lower ratings. By halftime, Ohio State had built a commanding 21-7 lead, and despite Notre Dame’s attempts to rally, the outcome never seemed in serious doubt. Blowout games have historically struggled to keep audiences engaged, and this year’s title game was no exception. While the Buckeyes’ performance was dominant, the lack of suspense may have kept casual viewers from sticking around.
Additionally, the expanded playoff structure may have diluted the excitement surrounding the final game. With 12 teams now vying for the title, the sense of exclusivity that the previous four-team format brought to the championship may have been lost. Fans might be feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of games leading up to the finale, leaving the title game feeling like just another matchup rather than the culmination of an epic journey.
As the College Football Playoff era evolves, the NCAA will need to grapple with the challenge of maintaining fan interest. Despite Ohio State’s triumph, the championship game’s declining ratings suggest that changes might be needed to recapture the magic of college football’s biggest night.
