ESPN’s College GameDay drew 2.9 million viewers for its Week 10 show from Notre Dame. As a result, the episode now ranks fifth all-time in the program’s history.
What We Know: The broadcast set a record as the most-watched Week 10 episode ever. Meanwhile, its final hour averaged 3.8 million viewers. Additionally, GameDay outdrew its competition (FOX Sports) by 257%. Moreover, this season now owns seven of the top 10 regular-season episodes on record. Overall, GameDay’s lead over 2025 has continued deep into the heart of the college football season.
What The Data Shows: (all data via ESPN PR):
College GameDay 2026 Viewership
| Week | Location | Average Viewership | Final Hour Viewership |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baton Rouge, LA | 2.8 million | 3.5 million |
| 2 | Austin, TX | 2.7 million | 3.4 million |
| 3 | Oxford, MS | 2.8 million | 3.6 million |
| 4 | Knoxville, LA | 2.8 million | 3.7 million |
| 5 | Iowa City, IA | 2.9 million | 3.7 million |
| 6 | Birmingham, AL | 2.8 million | 3.6 million |
| 7 | Provo, UT | 3.0 million | 3.9 million |
| 8 | Salt Lake City, UT | 2.5 million | 3.1 million |
| 9 | Bloomington, IN | 2.5 million | 3.2 million |
| 10 | South Bend, IN | 2.9 million | 3.8 million |
| 11 | Boise, ID | TBA | TBA |
What Remains Unclear: However, ESPN did not share a peak audience for the South Bend show outside of the final hour average. Now with a trip to Boise ahead and a smaller market, it remains to be seen if GameDay can hold their momentum heading into deep November college football.
What It Means: Taken together, ESPN posted its best Saturday of the season outside Week 0, averaging 3 million viewers across four games. Alabama at LSU led the way, drawing 8.9 million on ABC. Meanwhile, Texas at Mizzou pulled 5 million on ESPN, cable’s top regular-season game since Week 1 of 2025. In addition, BYU at Utah drew 4.4 million, the most-watched Holy War on record. Moreover, the trip to South Bend was a nice rebound from back-to-back weeks of below average figures for College GameDay.
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