Utah's Big 12 opener among most-watched college football games of Week 4

Utes-Red Raiders showdown from Salt Lake City drew over 4 million viewers on Fox

Utah Utes tight end Dallen Bentley (88) runs after a catch against Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back Dontae Balfour (20) and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) during the fourth quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Despite kicking off at a time some felt was too early for a top-20 matchup, the nationally-televised showdown between Utah and Texas Tech was among the most-watched games on college football's Week 4 slate.

According to Nielsen data collected by Sports Media Watch, the Utes-Red Raiders contest from Rice-Eccles Stadium drew in just over 4 million viewers, the highest viewership count of any game that aired on Fox's networks in Week 4.

Fox's Big Noon Kickoff crew was on Utah's campus to preview the highly anticipated clash between Big 12 contenders, drawing what appeared to be hundreds of college students to the pregame show's set several hours ahead of the 10 a.m. local time kickoff.

Slow starts from both teams didn't appear to impact the game's overall viewership numbers, despite 11 of the first 12 offensive drives ending in either a punt, turnover on downs or takeaway. Texas Tech would eventually pull away in the fourth quarter courtesy of 21 unanswered points from its offense — led by backup quarterback Will Hammond — to earn a convincing 34-10 victory on the road.

Only three other Week 4 games drew in higher viewership counts than the Utah-Texas Tech contest: Miami-Florida (6.46 million viewers), Oklahoma-Auburn (6.12 million) and Nebraska-Michigan (5.3 million).

Two Week 4 games crack list of most-watched for 2025 season

A pair of games televised on ABC led the Week 4 ratings, with the in-state showdown between Miami and Florida leading the pack at 6.46 million viewers, followed by Oklahoma-Auburn with 6.12 million viewers.

In addition to drawing in the most viewers of any Week 4 game, those two nationally-televised matchups finished as two of the most-watched college football games of the season overall. The Miami-Florida game was the eighth-most-watched game of the 2025 regular season, while Oklahoma-Auburn just made it onto the top 10 list at No. 10, per data collected by FootballScoop.

The Week 1 battle in Columbus, Ohio, featuring Ohio State and Texas at "The Horseshoe" still ranked as the most-watched game of the 2025 season with a total of 16.62 million viewers. Georgia's come-from-behind win over Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the Week 3 slate came in at No. 2 with 12.58 million viewers.

Most-Watched College Football Games of Week 4

1. Miami vs. Florida (ABC): 6.46 million viewers
2. Oklahoma vs. Auburn (ABC): 6.12M
3. Nebraska vs. Michigan (CBS): 5.3M
4. Utah vs. Texas Tech (Fox): 4.04M
5. Clemson vs. Syracuse (ESPN): 3.39M
6. Rutgers vs. Iowa (Fox): 3.01M
7. Indiana vs. Illinois (NBC & Peacock): 2.7M
8. Memphis vs. Arkansas (ABC): 2.11M
9. Wisconsin vs. Maryland (NBC & Peacock): 2M
10. Missouri vs. South Carolina (ESPN): 1.85M