Final ratings for the '97-98 college bowl games, compared to '96-97. Numbers are from the networks. NOTE: The Bowl Alliance switches venues for the national championship between the Sugar, Fiesta and Orange every year. The Orange Bowl was the site this year:
| DATE | FINAL RATING |
| BOWL | '97-98 | '96-97 |
| NET | '97-98 | '96-97 | % +/- |
| ORANGE | 1/2 | 12/31 | CBS | 13.3/23 | 7.8/16 | +70% |
| PEACH | 1/2 | 12/28 | ESPN | 4.3 | 3.6 | +19% |
| SUGAR | 1/1 | 1/2 | ABC | 11.2/20 | 17.9/29 | -57% |
| ROSE | 1/1 | 1/1 | ABC | 17.6/32 | 16.5/29 | + 6% |
| COTTON | 1/1 | 1/1 | CBS | 6.2/13 | 5.6/12 | +11% |
| CITRUS | 1/1 | 1/1 | ABC | 9.2/20 | 7.5/16 | +23% |
| GATOR | 1/1 | 1/1 | NBC | 3.3/7 | 5.7/12 | -42% |
| OUTBACK | 1/1 | 1/1 | ESPN | 3.2 | 5.3 | -40% |
| FIESTA | 12/31 | 1/1 | CBS | 5.8/12 | 10.0/17 | -42% |
| LIBERTY | 12/31 | 12/27 | ESPN | 1.9 | 2.9 | -34% |
| SUN | 12/31 | 12/31 | CBS | 4.1/11 | 3.7/10 | +11% |
| ALAMO | 12/30 | 12/29 | ESPN | 3.9 | 3.8 | + 2% |
| HOLIDAY | 12/29 | 12/30 | ESPN | 3.3 | 5.5 | -40% |
| CARQUEST | 12/29 | 12/27 | TBS | 2.2 | 2.8 | -21% |
| HUMANIT. | 12/29 | N/A | ESPN2 | 0.8 | N/A | N/A |
| INDEPEND. | 12/28 | 12/31 | ESPN | 4.5 | 3.2 | +41% |
| INSIGHT | 12/27 | 12/27 | ESPN | 2.4 | 2.5 | - 4% |
| HERITAGE | 12/27 | 12/31 | ESPN | 0.5 | 1.3 | -61% |
| MOTOR CITY | 12/26 | N/A | ESPN | 4 | N/A | N/A |
| ALOHA | 12/25 | 12/25 | ABC | 5.2/16 | 6.0/18 | -13% |
| LAS VEGAS | 12/20 | 12/19 | ESPN2 | 0.9 | 2 | -55% |
