TV ratings: Gator viewers nearly double USF's

Saturday afternoon's college football programming offered a rare chance to directly compare the local ratings for two state football programs, as close to apples-to-apples as possible: both Florida and USF played at 3:30 p.m. on network TV, with the Gators playing Georgia on Ch. 10 and USF facing Connecticut on Ch. 28.

Sorry, Bulls fans, but the Florida-Georgia game had nearly double the local viewers as USF-UConn, with the Gators drawing a 13.2 overnight rating, as opposed to a 7.0 rating for the Bulls. The Florida-Georgia game had a 31.9 share -- meaning 31.9 percent of the TVs turned on were tuned in -- while USF-UConn had a 17.2 share. The USF audience represents a local viewership of about 123,000 households in the Tampa market.

For what it's worth, both local teams drew significantly higher ratings than No. 1 Ohio State, which played Penn State in an 8 p.m. kickoff on Ch. 28 and drew a 4.6 rating, with a 9.9 share.

Comments

[JoeB]

Not too shocking. It would be a little bit closer I'd imagine if we were playing WVU or Louisville, basically a bigger name team than the Huskies. FL/UGA rivalry goes back to the 1920s or so right? USF/UConn goes back to 2005. Apples meet oranges.

[Dav]

Wonder what it would have been if it was USF-Georgia vs UF-uConn.

UF-Georgia is, well, the largest not outdoor not cocktail sorta party in the world.

[JL]

Both good comments.

My thoughts exactly.

[Ari]

I was watching "Nip & Tuck" personally.

[G.A.]

Don't knock Nip/Tuck. New season starts tomorrow! USF-UConn goes back early than 2005, just to nitpick.

My thinking is that Georgia is a better opponent, but that game is like 15 hours closer to Tampa, so more fans can go, so less watch in Tampa. A relative wash, I figure.

[VOR]

To expand on Dav's comment above, there are many more Georgia transplants living in the Tampa area than Connecticut transplants.
Just that fact would affect the viewership numbers.

[Terry Lucas]

UF can finally say they beat USF in football this season in some regards.

This is a good moral victory for you Greg and your UF cesspool classmates.

Go Bulls...

Nobody wants to watch the big least.

[Matthew Yoder]

USF still ranked higher than Gators . . .

USF ratings less than Gators . . . .

I think your roots are starting to show too much GA. Personally unless a meteor hits Gainesville (c'mon my birthdays just around the corner) I can do without the UF news in my favorite USF blog.

[steve oneal]

Why would we even give a sh*t how many people watched uf/ga? What are you gonna cover the gators now? BYE !! GO BULLS!! THE ONLY TEAM IN TAMPA!

[Tom]

The uf/UGA game was more attractive for several reasons: it was high scoring, a rivalry, good weather, and in front of a sellout. The USF/UCONN game did not have any of these benefits. I was in orlando and I made it a point to not even switch over to catch the score on cbs.

[Chris]

If you take the number of people that watched each game, then divide it by the number of years the teams in each game have had a football program and been building a fan base the USF @ UCONN game crushhes the UF vs. UGA game.

There's the apples to apples comparison.

[Adam]

Geez people, get off Greg's case. He made a bad decision several years ago to go to UF.

There are still a lot of UF fans out there, these stats are sad, but who cares.

I am glad to see the comparison, but it's nothing to get angry about. We can't all have a great time when Greg tells us about how we are ranked higher than UF, but get angry when he tells us they have more fans. That would make us...well, them.

A couple of weeks ago, they were over here all the time because Greg wasn't the only one saying we were better, their big argument was that they have more traditions, a better program and more fans. Well they do. Our Bulls do (up until the last two games) their talking on the field.

We have come a long way in 11 years, but no one is going to forget the gators over night. Just enjoy the ride.

[steve oneal]

Just bustin your chops,GA. You know I've told you before what a great job you do covering the Bulls, especially when it can be so difficult sometimes getting info from the school. Keep up the hard work, it's appreciated. GO BULLS!!

[Gene Schwartz]

does it really shock anyone that the annual 'neck fest in Jax would outdraw a big least game? LOL

[Jonny]

Hey, a lot of cousins of mine and their spouses (also cousins of mine) were watching the UF-GA game and having a (and I quote) "hootin-hollering good time. Get er done!"

The people I know married outside of their family were watching the Bulls...

Give Greg a break, USF probably didn't have a football team when he was going to college (not that you look that old or anything).

USF has a viewing audience of the city of Tampa. No one outside of Tampa watches the bulls.

[G.A.]

I remember covering a UF-USF basketball game at the Sun Dome when I was in college, talking to Lee Roy Selmon. I went to high school in North Carolina, so really wasn't aware of USF when I went through the college selection process.

[JoeB]

I stand corrected on the UConn series, although I was speaking in terms of playing a conference foe, like the Gators did this past weekend.

[nts]

Who cares...went to to UF and USF... I have more than two TVs...watched both.

Both disappointing games.

Go Bulls....Let's Go Gators!

usf just sucks that's why no one watched. go gators

[eslone]

Can't believe the nerve of some folks. Really!!. you can say that USF sucks when Flordia is tied for worst record this year of all that WONDERFUL SEC BUNCH. You overrated bunch of big mouths ran by the biggest mouth of all... WONDERFUL URBAN MYERS!! Ain't he a piece of work. The turtle lookin butt. Ought to take care of his own business before stickin his nose in everyone else's. 3 big big beautiful losses. Couldn't happen to a better team. Keep your chin up USF..someday they will figure out that you ARE the Florida team.