UM-ND was also up from a 2.4 for Texas-Notre Dame in ’15, the last time NBC began the season in primetimeGETTY IMAGES
NBC’s Michigan-Notre Dame matchup Saturday night led all Week 1 college football games with a 4.5 overnight rating, which is tied with two other games as the net’s best CFB rating since the same matchup in ’06 (4.9). Michigan-Notre Dame in ’10 and USC-Notre Dame in ’09 also drew 4.5 overnights. UM-ND on Saturday is also up from a 2.4 for Texas-Notre Dame in ’15, which was the last time NBC began the season in primetime. Last year’s Week 1 game against Temple in the afternoon window drew a 1.2 overnight. Meanwhile, ABC’s LSU-Miami on Sunday night led all of ESPN’s Week 1 CFB games with a 4.1 overnight. That figure is up from 2.9 for West Virginia-Virginia Tech last year, but down from a 5.3 two years ago for Notre Dame-Texas, which was ABC’s first-ever Sunday night game during Labor Day weekend. Virginia Tech-Florida State last night drew a 3.8 overnight on ESPN, up from a 3.3 for Tennessee’s OT win over Georgia Tech last year. “College GameDay” on ESPN also drew a 1.4 overnight on Saturday morning, up 8% from the show’s season premiere in ’17. On CBS, West Virginia-Tennessee on Saturday in the 3:30pm ET window, drew a 1.8 overnight. That game had a weather delay from 5:30-6:15pm as well. CBS did not have a Week 1 game last year. The net drew a 2.0 for UCLA-Texas A&M in Week 1 of ’16 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
THEY WERE ALL YELLOW: THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch wrote, "I was far from alone into having to trick my brain Saturday night while watching the Notre Dame-Michigan game." Because both the down and distance graphic, as well as UM’s scoring total, "were in yellow when Michigan had the ball, it was hard not to think a flag had been called on every play." An NBC spokesperson said, “We were trying to make a distinct graphic color for Michigan; however, we recognize the viewers’ concerns, and in retrospect, we could have made another decision" (THEATHLETIC.com, 9/3).
ALL THINGS BRISTOL: In Memphis, Drew Hill noted "much of the first quarter" of Mercer-Memphis on WatchESPN could "not be seen." There were "technical difficulties," but ESPN "finally solved the issue at the start of the second quarter" (COMMERCIALAPPEAL.com, 9/1)....THE ATHLETIC's Matt Fortuna profiled Lee Corso's 31 years on ESPN's "College GameDay," and his 311 picks using mascot headgear "resonate with an entire football nation each fall." Corso said, "Do you know anybody else that makes a living putting something else on his head? I'm telling you, that has been an unbelievable thing for me" (THEATHLETIC.com, 8/31)....Jen Lada has signed a new multiyear deal with ESPN that will see her continue hosting "College Football Live" on a rotating basis as well as report for "College GameDay" (ESPN).
NOTES: Former Maryland RB LaMont Jordan replaced Tim Strachan as the team's radio color analyst after "serving as a guest analyst for a few games late last season" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/31).
