If you are a fellow college sports fanatic or a student-athlete yourself, I'm sure you've wondered what the most viewed game from your sport was in 2021. While the obvious assumption would be that the championship game of any given sport would be the most viewed by a landslide, that is not always the case. For three sports in this article (football, men's basketball, and women's basketball), I took regular season numbers into account instead. The rest of the list features national championship games. This is due to the fact that the most watched game in these three sports were easily the championship games, but their regular season viewership numbers were readily available for access and had a large viewing as well.
- College Football (Michigan vs. Ohio State, Nov. 27) (Regular Season)
A whopping 15.9 million viewers tuned in for this rivalry matchup. To add to the appeal, this ended up being a snowy game as well. Snow football games have become a staple in the sport due to the players having to play in conditions that most people would stay indoors during. Michigan would go on to beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011, with a final score of 42-27.
- Men's Basketball (Duke vs. Gonzaga, Nov. 26) (Regular Season)
2.8 million people tuned in for this #1 (Gonzaga) vs. #7 (Duke) matchup. A lot of high expectations were on the line for Gonzaga this season, but Duke would go on to win in a close one, 84-81.
- Softball (Oklahoma vs. Florida State, June 8-10) (World Series)
The three-game series averaged 1.8 million viewers in 2021! Oklahoma would go on to win the Women's College World Series, outlasting Florida State in game three, 5-1.
- Baseball (Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt, June 28-30) (World Series)
1.7 million viewers watched as Mississippi State got the best of Vanderbilt and shut them out 9-0 in game three of the College World Series.
- Women's Volleyball (Wisconsin vs. Nebraska, Dec. 18) (National Championship)
The 2021 women's volleyball national championship game was the most watched women's college volleyball game that aired on ESPN ever with 1.19 millions viewers! The game was a five-set battle that lasted over three hours, with Wisconsin winning 3-2.
- Women's Basketball (South Carolina vs. NC State, Nov. 9) (Regular Season)
506,000 people were watching the season opening matchup between #1 South Carolina and #4 NC State, a 179% increase over the 2020 season opener! South Carolina would prove they were the best team in the country yet again, handling NC State 66-57.
- Men's Ice Hockey (Massachusetts vs. St. Cloud State, Apr. 10) (Championship)
435,000 people were tuned in to see Massachusetts dominate the ice versus St. Cloud State. UMass went on to win their first hockey championship in school history, 5-0.
- Men's Volleyball (Hawaii vs. BYU, May 8) (Championship)
Hawaii would go on to sweep BYU in this championship matchup, 3-0. The viewership for this game was estimated at around 120,000, which is unfortunately a dip from years prior.
While championship games most often receive the most viewership, you never know just how many people could be watching during a regular-season game as well! The key takeaway for college athletes: Always play your hardest out there!
Related: How to Build a Championship Culture
“Have an idea for a story or a question you need answered? Want to set up an interview with us? Email us at [email protected]”
* Originally published on April 4, 2022, by Ashton Grenon
