Coach James Franklin has been giving Penn State fans, and everyone really, the finger for the past decade — and it might be time for fans to signal back.
You’ve seen the photos, and maybe they’ve happened a little less often in recent months, but they almost invariably include Franklin, index finger pointed skyward, offering a No. 1 in grip-and-grin photo ops. It’s been his message from the start. The program will be No. 1 in everything possible.
He’s used that approach to seek “alignment” between the athletic department and university leadership at Penn State. That’s led to upgraded facilities and all kinds of off-field progress, including a more unified to the sport’s name, image and likeness approach (it’s pay-for-play), a training table in the football complex this season (not sure how they ever won without that) and a building project on the horizon at Beaver Stadium (it’s about more than football, honest).
No, the Nittany Lions are not the nation’s No. 1 football program, but Franklin is pushing them to act that way. And yes, a few more victories, the right victories, would go a long way toward making that happen. (That’s a story for another day. Or maybe the story that really matters every day.)
Still, Penn State which sits at No. 10 in this week’s Associated Press poll, ranks neither first nor 10th in some fan-influenced areas — notably fundraising, because the whole pay-for-play culture has gotten a cool response compared to what’s happening at other schools.
Additionally, television viewership of Penn State football falls short of some of its “elite” counterparts. That kind of thing can translate into attention, and money as well.
Even with its rich history, Big Ten Conference connection, East Coast location and, as you may have heard, the largest dues-paying alumni association in higher education, Penn State remains a little less than a TV powerhouse.
Still, people watch Penn State on TV but not in the same way they watch Alabama, Ohio State and several others that rank ahead of Penn State in combined TV viewership.
Here’s the Top 25 of college football TV viewership for last season, thanks to Kevin Spain of Sportsnaut. The number after the team’s name is the average number of viewers (in millions) for the team’s games. The number in parenthesis after that is the number of the team’s games that were Nielsen rated. Those with lower numbers played a few less games that aired on major networks or cable channels.
| Rank | Team | Avg. Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 7.12 (11) |
| 2 | Ohio State | 6.05 (11) |
| 3 | Colorado | 6.00 (9) |
| 4 | Georgia | 5.90 (11) |
| 5 | Michigan | 5.61 (12) |
| 6 | Tennessee | 4.57 (7) |
| 7 | Oregon | 4.43 (10) |
| 8 | Texas | 4.26 (12) |
| 9 | Florida State | 4.16 (12) |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 4.15 (10) |
| 11 | Washington | 4.14 (10) |
| 12 | LSU | 3.79 (9) |
| 13 | USC | 3.77 (9) |
| 14 | Penn State | 3.66 (11) |
| 15 | Auburn | 3.55 (7) |
| 16 | Missouri | 3.25 (6) |
| 17 | Florida | 3.17 (8) |
| 18 | Ole Miss | 2.93 (7) |
| 19 | Clemson | 2.90 (7) |
| 20 | Texas A&M | 2.74 (9) |
| 21 | Iowa | 2.68 (11) |
| 22 | Miami | 2.65 (6) |
| 23 | Duke | 2.639 (6) |
| 24 | Nebraska | 2.637 (11) |
| 25 | Utah | 2.616 (7) |
Source: Sportnaut. Number in parenthesis were Nielsen rated games.
Sure, viewership offers a measure of interest in both teams involved in a game, and viewership gets impacted by other games airing at the same time, as well as the time of day for the game. So, there are a lot of variables.
Simply put, though, Penn State itself is not the draw. It needs a big-name or interesting opponent to really attract viewers — and even then, it might not make a huge difference.
Earlier this year, Ohio State dominated Akron and 2.97 million people watched on Aug. 31. That same day Penn State-West Virginia attracted 2.99 million viewers — and that game appeared on Fox, for Big Noon Kickoff, which should’ve meant better visibility. Even with a much better opponent and a better timeslot, Penn State barely out-drew OSU.
That’s not a bad thing, not a knock against Penn State. It’s just the truth.
For whatever reason, for many reasons probably, the program is interesting to TV viewers, but not a dominant attraction.
Penn State has a rich history, and a rich history on TV — thanks to Penn State and Miami in 1987 TV networks affirmed the power of college football before and during the Fiesta Bowl when more than 25 million people watched, and when NBC launched Big Ten Saturday Night last season it did so at Beaver Stadium, as 3.5 million people watched — but it’s not always must-see TV.
That’s a signal from the fans, or at least a signal about interest in the program among casual fans.
Six programs have earned a national championship in the past decade. Five of them — Alabama, Georgie, Ohio State, LSU and Michigan — rank ahead of Penn State on the viewership list. Only Clemson ranks behind the Nittany Lions.
No, there’s not a direct correlation between TV viewership and winning. And, yes, the most successful teams play in games that are watched by more people.
Still, it’s an area where Penn State fans, if there are more of them with an interest, could send a signal about their support.
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