The FCS showcased its talent during prime time last week, as Ivy League and HBCU programs gained attention thanks to the MLB postseason. The games featuring Cornell versus Harvard and Arkansas-Pine Bluff versus Prairie View A&M were elevated from ESPNU to ESPN2.

According to Omar-Rashon Borja, a senior writer for Redshirt Sports, the Harvard-Cornell matchup drew 312,000 viewers, marking it the highest-rated Ivy League game on ESPN since the network began airing conference games in 2018. This figure surpassed the 272,000 viewers of the 2018 Harvard-Yale game. Additionally, the recent viewership doubled last year’s Cornell-Harvard game, which aired under similar conditions on ESPN2.

For HBCU programs, the 147,000 viewers for the Arkansas-Pine Bluff versus Prairie View A&M game represented the highest viewership for either team in years. It was also the top weeknight viewership for any SWAC game since 2012, according to SportsMediaWatch.com. This number exceeded Prairie View's SWAC Championship appearance last year and marked the highest viewership since the 2018 MEAC-SWAC Challenge, which drew 362,000 viewers.

ESPN has highlighted several HBCU games on linear television this season, including Edward Waters versus Benedict College and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on ESPN2, and Tuskegee versus Johnson C. Smith(JCSU) on ESPNU. Upcoming broadcasts include Jackson State versus Florida A&M on ESPNU this Saturday and the Magic City Classic between Alabama State and Alabama A&M on October 26.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Magic Johnson attends the 2024 NWSL Championship match
Magic Johnson donates $500,000 to a Louisiana HBCU
Fisk University junior Morgan Price makes history as the first HBCU gymnast to earn a perfect score in women’s collegiate gymnastics.
HBCU star Morgan Price transfers to Arkansas, reunites with sister
Morehouse College has hired North Carolina State assistant Larry Dixon as the next head men’s basketball coach of the institution.
Morehouse College taps North Carolina State assistant as head coach

The recent surge in viewership for FCS and lower-division matchups highlights the growing appeal of college football. Programs that previously lacked exposure are now showcasing their talent and entertaining fans just as effectively as Power Five teams.

While they may not draw millions of viewers like the Ohio State versus Oregon game, which attracted 10.4 million viewers on NBC (9.6 million per Nielsen) during week seven of the college football season, the rising numbers for FCS matchups are still significant.

But this trend is likely to continue, especially with undefeated programs like Johnson C. Smith generating buzz as they progress through the remainder of the season.