The debut of Michael Vick as head coach of Norfolk State drew a lot of fanfare in the college football world. Vick had an electrifying career as a quarterback for the Falcons and Eagles, ultimately finishing his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. All eyes were on how he would turn around a Norfolk State program that hasn't seen sustained winning as a Division I competitor.
However, it appears that the viewership wasn't as widespread as anticipated, according to Nielsen numbers obtained by TV Media Blog. The Norfolk State vs. Towson game generated 73,000 views on ESPNU. It was the second-most-viewed HBCU game broadcast on national television over Labor Day weekend. The Miles College versus Virginia Union game on NFL Network, on Sunday afternoon, generated 221,000 views.
Howard University and Florida A&M's matchup in the Orange Blossom Classic on Saturday afternoon drew 30,000 views on ESPNU, a far cry from the massive viewership the classic enjoyed when it was broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2. The Tuskegee versus Winston-Salem State game in the Red Tails Classic, which has tended to perform well in the ratings in the matchups that featured Tuskegee facing off against Fort Valley State, drew 27,000 views.
A common denominator appears to be ESPNU. The channel isn't available in many households, unlike the bigger ESPN and ESPN2 channels. Even with the launch of the new ESPN direct-to-consumer app, the game might not have been accessible if a viewer's cable bundle doesn't feature ESPNU.
It also appears as if First Take's appearance at Norfolk State on Thursday morning didn't drive enough attention to bring the viewership to over 100,000. Although it did outpace the Howard vs. Florida A&M and Winston-Salem State vs. Tuskegee games, it still lagged significantly behind Miles vs. Virginia Union on NFL Network, even with the lead-in from the Thursday morning First Take. The variable could very well be promotion, with ESPNU not being a typical location to watch these matchups and being a network that many people do not have. More promotion could have been done to raise the viewership floor.
Norfolk State's next game against Virginia State will be broadcast on ESPN+.
