College Football Playoff sees historic ratings thanks to Rose Bowl

It did not prove to be a very competitive game, but the College Football Playoff matchup between Indiana and Alabama in the Rose Bowl last week captivated a record-setting television audience.

The Hoosiers' 38-3 win over the Crimson Tide in the CFP quarterfinals on ESPN drew 23.9 million viewers, the network announced, making it the most-watched CFP game since the bracket expanded to 12 teams last year.

Overall, the four CFP quarterfinals games averaged 19.3 million viewers, which was an increase of 14 percent from last year, per ESPN, which aired all four games.

All eyes were on the ‘25-‘26 #CFBPlayoff Quarterfinals - which averaged 19.3M viewers, up 14% YoY

🏈 #RoseBowl: 23.9M (most-watched CFP game of the 12-team era)⁰🏈 #GoodyearCottonBowl: 19.0M (+37% YoY)⁰🏈 #SugarBowl: 18.7M (+18% YoY)⁰🏈 #CapitalOneOrangeBowl: 15.9M pic.twitter.com/wbrS3tQkwe
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) January 5, 2026

Next after the Rose Bowl was the Cotton Bowl matchup with No. 10-seed Miami's 24-14 upset of No. 2 Ohio State on New Year's Eve drawing 19 million viewers, followed by Ole Miss' wild 39-34 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in the final of the three games on Jan. 1 (18.7 million viewers). The least-watched game was Oregon's one-sided 23-0 win over Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl, which still drew a strong 15.9 million viewers.

Through two rounds, viewership of the CFP is up 3.3 percent from last year, averaging 14.4 million viewers per game, per ESPN.

It's no surprise that the Indiana-Alabama matchup set the bar.

Head coach Curt Cignetti is the author of Indiana's Cinderella story. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Hoosiers are the best story in college football -- arguably one of the best stories ever in the sport -- while making back-to-back CFP appearances in coach Curt Cignetti's first two seasons after averaging just 3 wins in the three years before his arrival.

More to the point, Indiana held the dubious distinction of having the most losses all-time in college football history before getting passed by Northwestern this year. Now, the Hoosiers are the only unbeaten team left, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and delivered a statement to any remaining doubters while beating Alabama so thoroughly.

Indiana went ahead 24-0 by the midway point of the third quarter and more than doubled Alabama's total offensive yards, 407 to 193, while holding a dominant 215-23 edge in rushing yards. The physicality of Indiana's running game was a jarring surprise to SEC stalwarts who questioned whether the Hoosiers' success was merely the product of a favorable schedule.

The Indiana-Oregon CFP semifinals clash will be a rematch of the October11 game between the two schools. — The Indiana-Oregon CFP semifinals clash will be a rematch of the October11 game between the two schools, which Indiana won 30-20. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The CFP semifinals kickoff Thursday with Miami vs. Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale Arizona, with Oregon vs. Indiana following Friday in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. Both games are on ESPN as well.

The showdown between Indiana and Oregon is a rematch as the Hoosiers beat the Ducks, 30-20, in a regular-season meeting in Eugene, Oregon, in October.