Thanks for these numbers. That ESPNU slot is awful. The other chart showed BTN getting numbers similar to ABC for the noon slot, which surprised me. I wonder what match-ups were opposite our game against NW last year, because even that game on BTN should have out-drawn this year's VA game on ESPN-U.
Yeah, I am not sure if this is still the case, but I know that several years ago only certain cable companies and streaming services offered the alternate BTN channels. In other words, most packages/markets only got one BTN game if there were multiple during a given time slot, and I distinctly recall coverage maps being published when BTN first came onto the scene. Looking at last year's schedule for the "rivalry weekend" games (God, I wish we had a cool rivalry...), we were actually the only BTN game in that slot. However, we had plenty of competition for eyeballs:
2:00-2:30 pm CST Games - Roughly in order of total viewer reach
#3 Alabama at Auburn on CBS
#18 Wisconsin at Minnesota on FOX
Penn State at #12 Michigan State on ABC
#11 Oregon at Oregon State on ESPN
Indiana at Purdue at on FS1
Vanderbilt at Tennessee on SECN (ESPN+)
Virginia Tech at Virginia on ACCN
Arizona at Arizona State on P12N
So, even though we are on a "better channel" than SECN, ACCN, P12N and arguably FS1 (not sure on this one, anyone?), I would argue almost every single one of those matchups is better than Illinois/Northwestern. Alabama/Auburn, PSU/MSU and likely Oregon/Oregon State and Wisconsin/Minnesota are going to take nearly all of the available "casual viewers" during that time slot. Combine that with Northwestern's tiny fan base and many casual Illini fans likely electing to do something else after our loss to Iowa the previous week likely ending our bowl chances, and you are going to have an awful rating.
It really is a shame that there is no clear "natural rival" for us at any point in the foreseeable future besides Northwestern. In a universe where Bret has us winning 8-9 games pretty regularly and we build the fan base back up, a Saturday-of-Thanksgiving game with the likes of Iowa or a Bears/Packers mirror series vs. Wisconsin (Lambeau and Soldier Field alternating??) could be really cool. Alas ... I quite honestly think the best possible hope for our future Northwestern series is to get good enough that we can make that a tradition in Chicago. It might not ever get a good crowd there, but I don't think it will EVER get one in Champaign on that weekend. Our student body's distribution and the lack of NU fan base makes it too difficult.