Pac-12 Championship most-watched title game in conference history

The Pac-12 went out in style Friday night.

Oregon and Washington’s battle for in the conference championship on ABC was the most-watched title game in conference history, ESPN announced. An average of 9.2 million viewers tuned in for the game, and the audience peaked at 11.1 million from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET, just as Oregon made it a one-score game again in the final minutes.

For comparison, the most-watched Pac-12 Championship entering Friday night was the 2014 matchup between Oregon and Arizona, according to Sports Media Watch. That game drew 6 million viewers and was closely followed by last year’s game between USC and Utah, which averaged 5.97 million.

Ultimately, Washington came away with the 34-31 victory thanks to a game-sealing drive led by Michael Penix Jr. to more than likely seal a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Pac-12 hasn’t had a team in the CFP since 2016-17 when the Huskies fell to Alabama in the Peach Bowl.

With the Pac-12 now effectively the Pac-2, it was a fitting send-off for one of the nation’s most storied conferences.

The Pac-12 — along with plenty of storylines — drove college football viewership this season

For the Pac-12, it was another milestone as part of a huge year. The conference — which is preparing to disperse after a groundbreaking round of conference realignment over the summer — helped lead a viewership surge that helped make the 2023 season the most-watched in college football history.

Through the first seven weeks of the season, the Pac-12 saw a 60% rise in viewership over last season, On3’s Eric Prisbell wrote. There were a few reasons for that figure, but one of the biggest was the high level of quarterback play in the league. Penix and Bo Nix look like they’re getting ready for a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, and while USC finished with a 7-5 record, Caleb Williams was another big draw.

Then, of course, there was the Coach Prime effect. Deion Sanders and Colorado became the talk of college football at the beginning of the year as the Buffaloes defeated TCU and Nebraska in the first two weeks — which already doubled their win total from 2022.

Even beyond the Pac-12, viewership was up around college football this year, especially during Rivalry Week. “The Game” between Michigan and Ohio State was the most-watched regular-season game in FOX’s history, bringing in 19.07 million viewers. The Wolverines have been in the most-viewed games over the last four weeks of the season after the Big Ten decided to suspend Jim Harbaugh, and that helped bring more eyes.