The traditional HBCU football kickoff game, better known as the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, drew 867,000 viewers on ABC on Saturday night, a sharp decline from last year’s record audience.
According to HBCU Legends, North Carolina Central’s 31-14 win over Southern ranked as the third-most-watched college football game in its time slot, trailing two FBS matchups on Fox and CBS. The broadcast delivered a 0.50 household rating with a 2 share.
Viewership was down nearly one-third from the 2024 game between Florida A&M and Norfolk State, which averaged 1.3 million and peaked at 1.4 million. The audience also fell below the 2023 meeting of Jackson State and South Carolina State, which drew 922,000.
The game remained the top-rated FCS regular-season telecast, far outpacing other contests. A UC Davis-Mercer matchup on ESPN/ESPNU drew 422,000 viewers.
Among adults 18–49, the broadcast earned a 0.13 rating, or roughly 168,000 to 181,000 viewers.
The game also streamed on ESPN’s digital platforms, though those numbers were not released.
