The college football bowl season got off to a better start on ESPN Saturday.
Saturday’s Arizona/Nevada New Mexico Bowl earned a 1.9 overnight rating on ESPN, up 19% from Temple/Wyoming last year (1.6*), and even with UTEP/BYU in 2010 (1.9).
The game topped CBS’ Indiana/Butler college-basketball game head-to-head (1.5) and earned the top non-NFL overnight of the slow sports weekend.
Later in the day, the the Utah State/Toledo Famous Idaho Potato Bowl drew a 1.8 overnight, up a tick from Ohio/Utah State last year (1.7), and even with Northern Illinois/Fresno State in 2010 (1.8).
* According to Monday’s edition of Sports Business Daily, last year’s New Mexico Bowl earned a 1.6 overnight. However, the December 19, 2011 edition of the same publication reported that the game drew a 1.7.
(Saturday’s overnights from Sports Business Daily)
