This is an unlocked article from the Wall Street Journal that appears to be locked but it is not.

https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/sec-big-ten-tv-ratings-69025ef6?st=XLPvXn&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Looks like the B1G is going to have to do some promoting.

You play your game of the week at 7:30 after a week of nonstop ESecPN promotion as opposed to playing the B1G game of the week at Noon ...

In Week 2, Ohio State plays at Texas. This will be the Prime Time game on ABC and will draw millions more eyeballs than last season's game in Columbus.

This, and what in Hades does the Big Ten have to do to get respect?

In 2026, Oregon plays - Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan, USC, Nebraska, and UW. And B1G opponents Michigan State, Northwestern, and UCLA will all be improved from what they put in the field in 2025.

In an article today, a CBS Sports 'journalist' referred to this slate of B1G games as being 'relatively easy.' Come On Man!

This is the kind of 'stuff' that had OBD with a second Big Ten loss last season, being unworthy of a PO spot. But seven SEC teams, including 3-loss Bama, should have been in the PO field.

Check out Notre Dame's 2026 schedule and try to find more than a possible loss at BYU and a home loss to Miami. And a 12 or higher-ranked Notre Dame is automatically in the 2026-27 and future PO fields.

If Notre Dame had been given this gift in 2025, the Irish would have knocked out Miami. I have no idea why Petitti and Sankey allowed this to happen. Well, actually I do, $$$.

On a Penn State site today, with this bending over for Notre Dame, a Penn State writer wonders why PSU didn't remain independent.

Maybe one of these days, the FBS will have a real playoff?

10 hours ago, 1Ducker1 said:

Looks like the B1G is going to have to do some promoting.

They need to change up their scheduling but that can't happen until the next contract.

Big noon is a cool time slot to fill a premier game but outside of that other major games get split between CBS and NBC. Which don't put college football on all day like ESPN/ABC.

Also Fox Sports 1 was supposed to give some competition to ESPN but it doesn't. Same thing with CBS sports. So those aren't helping the viewership cause.

Furthermore, some fans get real picky about commentators. I seriously reading other forums complain about the commentators is funny because they hate everyone for one dumb reason or another.

Then at the end of the day the South is just more heavily invested into football culture.

Another thought... Probably doesn't help that the football viewer base on the West coast is now pretty fragmented. I know we aren't a power house of viewers over here but with all this conference realignment I still find myself not caring about almost all other B1G match ups that don't concern the Ducks. Seriously I only watched a couple of other B1G games all year. In the Pac I would watch other teams play but I'm not connected to the B1G yet and I know I'm not alone.

On average, 30.1 million folks watched Indiana play Miami on Monday.

The most-watched CFB champ game was Oregon vs. Ohio State in 2015. On average, close to 34 million tuned in.

And popularity-wise, the Ducks keep Quacking.

Oregon Ducks On SI

Oregon Ducks Games Receive Surprising TV Ratings

The Oregon Ducks were one of the top college football teams this season, making a run to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl before falling

Football is historically cyclical and the Saban cycle is over. It was a long run and will be fascinating to watch it unfold…good trend so far.