Houston Cougars Big Monday Matchup vs. Iowa State Draws Massive Viewership
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The No. 2 Houston Cougars are going back to the drawing board, headed into their Saturday matchup against the No. 4-ranked Arizona Wildcats, coming off a close loss to the No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones to start the week on Monday night.
The Coogs went out on the road and headed up to Ames to take on the Cyclones while riding a six-game winning streak and 22-2 record, but Houston would be leaving with its third loss of the season and second in conference play after a close 70-67 matchup on Monday.
The matchup was not only just one of many other big-time games that the Big 12 produces with several elite teams in the conference, but Houston's loss to Iowa State was also a big-time force in drawing in viewers.
Houston vs. Iowa State Pulls in Big Viewership Numbers
On a post from ESPN PR on X, the numbers from the Cougars' Big Monday battle against the Cyclones in Ames were released, and the viewership numbers are sky-high with the huge, big-time Big 12 match-up drawing in 1.6 million viewers on Monday night.
Big Monday continues to deliver big #NCAAMBB viewership wins 👏 pic.twitter.com/kjhsGHbCEI
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 19, 2026
Also on Monday night, ESPN delivered the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils taking on the Syracuse Orange at Cameron Indoor Stadium, with the Blue Devils winning dominantly, with that ACC battle also surpassing a million viewers with a reported 1.3 million viewers.
The previous week was also a big night for ESPN's Big Monday series, showcasing some of the top matchups in college basketball on a Monday night, and it was another big-time Big 12 matchup drawing in the numbers, as Arizona vs. Kansas drew in 1.8 million viewers, highlighting once again the strength and the ongoing thriving nature of Big 12 basketball.
Houston will once again be a part of Big Monday next week, as the Coogs head out on the road once more, this time taking the trip to Kansas to take on the Jayhawks on Feb. 23. The Jayhawks currently have a 20-6 overall record and 10-3 conference record at one of the toughest places to play in the country, Allen Fieldhouse.
On the same night, ESPN will air a top matchup in the ACC as No. 21 Louisville Cardinals travel up to Chapel Hill to take on the No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels.
However, before the Cougars take their show on the road to Kansas, they'll have a massive game on Saturday afternoon as Houston welcomes in No. 4 Arizona to the Fertitta Center for what should be a highly anticipated game and has the potential to be another Big 12 classic.
