Camping World Kickoff delivers ESPN’s top-rated college football game since 2016

Florida’s thrilling 24-20 victory over Miami in Saturday night’s Camping World Kickoff delivered an impressive 4.1 overnight rating on ESPN, making it the network’s highest-rated college football game in nearly three years, the network announced in a release Sunday.

The in-state rivalry game peaked with a 4.9 rating during the Hurricanes’ final drive, capping off a full day of action that began with a special Week 0 edition of College GameDay Built by the Home Depot from Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

“Saturday was an ideal way to begin the in-season CFB150 celebration,” ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions Nick Dawson said of the network’s programming, which also included an FCS kickoff between Samford and Youngstown State. “This signature day was the result of a shared vision amongst many, including Florida, Miami, Youngstown State, and Samford. We now look forward to our five-day Kickoff Week slate and the entire CFB150 season.”

Overall, Florida markets accounted for six of the top eight nationally during the Camping World Kickoff, however, it was Birmingham, Ala., that took the top spot overall with a massive 18.7 overnight draw.

The nation’s top 10 overnight ratings can be found below: