Purdue Among Most-Watched College Basketball Teams During 2025-26 Season
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Purdue was among the most popular teams to watch throughout the 2025-26 college basketball season, including the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers ranked in the top five in viewership this past year, according to Nielsen.
For the 2025-26 season, Purdue ranked as the fourth most-watched team in college basketball. More than 2.554 million viewers watched the Boilermakers throughout the year, including the team's run to the Elite Eight.
Data was collected from multiple television networks, including ABC, CBS, CNBC, CW, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, FOX, FS1, FS2, ION, NBC, truTV, TNT and USA. Here's a look at the complete top five from this past season:
- Michigan Wolverines — 3.353 million viewers
- Duke Blue Devils — 2.965 million viewers
- UConn Huskies — 2.842 million viewers
- Purdue Boilermakers — 2.553 million viewers
- Illinois Fighting Illini — 2.377 million viewers
Purdue enjoyed a 30-9 season in 2025-26, which included a Big Ten Tournament championship and a run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Point guard Braden Smith broke the NCAA assist record in the Boilermakers' first-round March Madness game against Queens, providing fans with additional reasons to tune in.
Boilers were among top teams all season
The dates for the Nielsen ratings begin on Nov. 1, 2025. and end on April 6, 2026. Purdue was considered one of the top teams in college basketball throughout the year.
With a senior trio of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer all returning, Purdue was ranked as the preseason No. 1 team in multiple polls. The Boilermakers started the year off hot, beginning 17-1 before suffering some losses in Big Ten play.
Purdue hit some rough patches, especially in the final six weeks of the season. It went 6-7 in its final 13 games and appeared to be limping into the postseason. The Boilers turned things around, though.
Matt Painter's team defeated Northwestern, Nebraska, UCLA and Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament, winning the championship. The Boilers then enjoyed wins over Queens, Miami and Texas, earning a trip to the Elite Eight.
Although Purdue carried momentum into the Elite Eight matchup against top-seeded Arizona, the Wildcats were too much, ending the Boilermakers' season in San Jose.
In addition to Purdue's long tournament runs and Smith chasing the assist record, the Boilermakers also ended the year with the most efficient offense in the history of KenPom's ranking system.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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