Some record breaking numbers were released yesterday by the National Football Foundation. Sure, one of the aims of the press release was spreading pro-bowl system/anti-playoff propaganda, but the attendance and television ratings still prove this: popular backlash against BCS bs isn’t turning people off from the game. So take a look at these big numbers, and imagine what these numbers would be if there actually was a football answer to March Madness.
* The Big Ten Network’s ratings increased across the board in 2009, with its average afternoon telecasts improving by 28 percent over 2008 and its eight primetime games exploding by a staggering 183 percent. The channel’s telecasts of afternoon games averaged a 2.3 household rating with the primetime games pulling a 1.7 rating.
* The Mtn. – MountainWest Sports Network saw an 18 percent increase in its average household viewership from 2008 for the slate of 30 games that it carried in 2009 and 2008.
* Almost 48.3 million fans attended games at the 630 NCAA schools during the 2009 season, including postseason games.
* Average attendance at Football Bowl Subdivision games was 46,281.
* Michigan led the nation with an average crowd of 108,933. 
* Penn State, Ohio State and Texas all averaged better than 100,000 a game.
The Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi garnered the second largest bowl audience this season for ESPN on ABC, behind only the BCS National Championship, with 15,143,000 households; 24,025,000 viewers; and a 13.2 rating.
* Both of ABC’s New Year’s Day college football bowl games scored increased ratings over last season. The Capital One Bowl (Penn State 19, LSU 17) produced an 8 percent pop from last year with a 6.9 rating while the Rose Bowl presented by Citi (Ohio State 26, Oregon 17) tallied a 12 percent increase with a 13.2 rating. All totaled ESPN on ABC posted a 36 percent increase for its bowl coverage over last year.
* A thrilling-overtime Outback Bowl produced the highest rated bowl ever on ESPN/ESPN2 for a game in the Chicago market (DMA), producing a 7.1 rating as Auburn beat Northwestern, 38-35. The previous Chicago market record was the 2000 Alamo Bowl between Nebraska and Northwestern with a 5.2 rating. The 4.06 national rating was a 32% increase over the 2009 Outback Bowl.
* The Valero Alamo Bowl with Texas Tech winning 41-31 against Michigan State, claimed the highest rated bowl game ever on ESPN/ESPN2 in both the San Antonio and Dallas markets with 12.5 and 9.3 ratings, respectively.
* Conference breakdown of BCS title game appearances from 1998-2009 has been Big 12 (7); SEC (6), ACC (3), Big East (3), Pac-10 (3), Big Ten (2).
* The Rose Bowl continued the longest sellout streak in college football, which dates back to 1947, selling 93,963 tickets for the Oregon vs. Ohio State match-up.