Which Pac-12 schools garnered the biggest TV ratings in 2022?
In the new world of conference realignment in college football, one of the most important numbers may not be the most entertaining to talk about.
That number has to do with TV ratings, and while your everyday fan may not be interested in which schools garner the highest number of people tuning into their games each and every week, it’s a number that may be far more valuable than you could ever believe.
Last summer, it was announced that the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins were jumping ship and leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. It makes sense on their part to leave a smaller conference and go to one of the preeminent leagues in the nation, looking to compete against the best teams while getting a more valuable slice of revenue as well. Part of the reason that the Big Ten wanted the pair of Los Angeles schools is because of the media market they’re in, and the value that they bring when it comes to TV ratings.
Do they bring the most value to the table when it comes to TV ratings in the Pac-12, though?
That answer will change on a year-to-year basis, with ratings obviously fluctuating as teams experience good years and bad years. Of course, some of the best teams, though, are consistently near the top of the charts, both in the conference and on a national scale as well.
Let’s take a look at which teams in the Pac-12 got the biggest TV ratings in 2023.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 314K
National Rank: 71st
Outlook Going Forward
The Sun Devils have been down in the dumps as of late, but there’s hope that Kenny Dillingham will be able to turn things around relatively quickly. It may not happen overnight, but there’s a chance that ASU is pulling in much bigger numbers a couple of years from now.
Colorado Buffaloes
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 352K
National Rank: 67th
Outlook Going Forward
Colorado is likely going to go from near the bottom of this list to potentially near the top of the list in 2023. We would like the call that the Deion Sanders effect. With the flash that Coach Prime brings to Boulder, it’s going to be fascinating to watch what they can do each and every week, no matter if they’re good or bad.
Arizona Wildcats
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 506K
National Rank: 62nd
Outlook Going Forward
It doesn’t feel like Arizona has a clear path out of the bottom of the conference when it comes to TV ratings any time soon. They could end up being pretty good in a couple of years with the way that Jedd Fisch has turned things around, but the fan base in Arizona is not huge, and they aren’t close to becoming a national brand.
Oregon State Beavers
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 625K
National Rank: 57th
Outlook Going Forward
The Beavers are going to climb up this list over the next year or two thanks to the infusion of eyeballs that DJ Uiagalelei is going to bring to Corvallis. Oregon State could end up competing for the Pac-12 Championship this year, and they’re going to an entertaining team to watch.
Stanford Cardinal
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 846K
National Rank: 47th
Outlook Going Forward
Stanford is going to go down on this list before they go up. With David Shaw gone and no clear path forward to success, I think it will be a couple of years before anyone outside of the Pac-12 is talking about the Cardinal.
California Golden Bears
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 857K
National Rank: 45th
Outlook Going Forward
Cal is in a very weird spot. They kind of got left out in the cold by UCLA and now it feels like they’re sitting alone at the lunch table and unsure of what to do next. The football product is nothing special, and the viewership isn’t great. The only thing they have going for them is the Berkley media market, which is something, I guess.
Washington State Cougars
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 907K
National Rank: 41st
Outlook Going Forward
Washington State may not have the media market of some of the big schools in the Pac-12, but they are undoubtedly one of the most entertaining teams to watch, constantly in after-dark shootouts and incredibly competitive games. As they continue to get better — we’ll see how good Cam Ward is this season — but I think that the Cougars are in a pretty decent spot, all things considered.
Washington Huskies
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 1.15M
National Rank: 34th
Outlook Going Forward
It feels like Washington fans think they should be higher on this list than they really are, but the numbers don’t lie. While Washington is seen as a national brand, they still don’t pull the numbers that other schools at the top of the Pac-12 do. However, they should rise up this list in 2023 with what is expected to be an incredibly successful season under Michael Penix.
Utah Utes
(Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images)
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 1.16M
National Rank: 33rd
Outlook Going Forward
For a relatively small-market team in Salt Lake City, the Utes draw pretty well on TV when it comes to the Pac-12. The Utes were one of the top 12-15 teams in the nation last season, so you might hope that their ratings were a bit better, but considering the size of the market, Utah does alright. I think that if we were in for more conference realignment in the future, the Utes would definitely not be left without a chair.
UCLA Bruins
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 1.591M
National Rank: 25th
Outlook Going Forward
In the top three feels about right for UCLA. The on-field product isn’t the best in the conference, and their in-game attendance could be better, but they are a national brand and have a rather large fanbase. It makes sense why the Big Ten wanted to take them.
4 Million Club (Games with more than 4 million viewers)
USC at UCLA (4.53M)
USC Trojans
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 2.07M
National Rank: 14th
Outlook Going Forward
I’m not going to sit here and argue against the weight that USC carries in the college football world and the eyeballs that they can garner when they do literally anything. With Lincoln Riley and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, the Trojans are probably one of the most talked about football teams in the nation — we can thank Colin Cowherd for that.
4 Million Club (Games with more than 4 million viewers)
Notre Dame vs. USC (6.68M)
USC at UCLA (4.53M)
Oregon Ducks
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Average Viewers Per Week in 2022: 2.21M
National Rank: 12th
Outlook Going Forward
The Ducks are the most national brand in the Pac-12, and they get the most viewers per game. That’s not hard to argue at this point. With the Nike train pumping them along, Oregon has become one of the “coolest” schools over the last couple of decades, and it’s resonating with kids across the nation and staying as they grow into a viewing demographic. It’s clear that, when more conference realignment takes place, Oregon will be one of the most coveted teams in the nation.
4 Million Club (Games with more than 4 million viewers)
Oregon vs. Georgia (6.20M)
