ESPN's Thursday night, COLLEGE FOOTBALL season opening doubleheader featuring North Carolina at South Carolina (6 p.m. ET) followed by No. 2 TCU at Minnesota (9 p.m. ET) earned a 40% and 27% overnight rating increase compared to ESPN's 2014 Thursday night COLLEGE FOOTBALL opener featuring Boise State vs. Ole Miss (Aug. 28, 2014).
South Carolina's 17-13 victory earned a 2.1 overnight rating, while No. 2 TCU's 23-17 victory garnered a 1.9 overnight rating, both representing a significant jump from the 1.5 overnight rating received during Ole Miss' 35-13 victory last season. Historically, North Carolina at South Carolina's 2.1 overnight rating is tied as the fifth best ESPN Thursday night opener of all-time: Top 5 ESPN's Thursday Night COLLEGE FOOTBALL Openers (All-Time) Ranking Overnight Rating Date MatchupVideos