Tennessee football’s win over Alabama was second-most watched game of series

Tennessee football beat Alabama on a historic day for viewership on ABC.

Saturday’s SEC doubleheader had record audiences back-to-back. It was the first time since 1996 that a single network aired two regular-season college football games on the same day that drew more than 10 million viewers.

The Vols’ 24-17 win over the Crimson Tide had 10.7 million viewers, which was the second-most-watched Alabama-Tennessee game on record. The matchup between Texas and Georgia that followed had 12.9 million viewers, which is ESPN platforms’ best regular-season college football game since 2016.

While the Bulldogs averaged more viewers during their win over the former No. 1 team in the country, the Tennessee game’s viewership had a higher peak. The Vols’ matchup peaked at a whopping 14.7 million viewers, while Texas vs. Georgia peaked at 14.1 million.

Tennessee beat Alabama for the second time in coach Josh Heupel’s four seasons, making his record against the Vols’ rival 2-2. Vols fans once again stormed the field after the win at Neyland Stadium, tearing down the goalposts – although this time, they weren’t allowed to take them out of the stadium.

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.