NCAA Volleyball Championships final fetches more views than Liverpool vs Manchester United & every NBA clash over the weekend
The jaw-dropping faceoff between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Texas Longhorns at the NCAA Volleyball Championships not only recorded the highest viewership and attendance but also left the top-rated NBA and Premier League match viewership behind.
The faceoff recorded an enormous viewership of 1.7 million fans watching the match live on ABC. The clash held on Sunday, December 18, 2023, at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, set the record for the highest viewership of any college volleyball match.
The Huskers vs Longhorns battle toppled the viewership of the nail-biting Northwest Derby, recording a viewership of 1.26 million on NBC according to Sports Media Watch. The NCAA clash, with the Texas Longhorns dominating the Huskers 3-0 trumped the viewership of the compelling rivalry between the two English football clubs Manchester United and Liverpool, who tied at 0-0.
Apart from succeeding the Premiere League's viewership, the volleyball championships also surpassed the viewership of every NBA clash held over the weekend, including the Bucks vs Pistons, Hornets vs 76ers, Cavaliers vs Hawks, and Warriors vs Nets which recorded an attendance of 18,064.
Along with breaking the record for the highest TV viewership, the NCAA volleyball clash also recorded the highest attendance for any indoor NCAA volleyball game, with 19,727 fans cheering and supporting their teams, of which 51% included female fans.
The NCAA clash reached a peak of 2.1 million views. The viewership rose about 115% from last year, with the female viewership rising by almost 151%.
The Texas Longhorns won the NCAA volleyball championship title for the consecutive time after defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Texas Longhorns defeated the overwhelming favorite Nebraska Cornhuskers to lift the title for the second time after last year.
The Longhorns dominated the Huskers with a scoreline of 3-0 to secure the title for a consecutive time, making it their fourth overall championship title. The Longhorns previously won the title under Mick Haley once in 1988 and then twice under the guidance of coach Jerritt Elliott in 2012 and 2022.
This year's title also marks their first victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in any NCAA clash including the faceoffs for the finals of 1995 and 2015, when the Huskers dominated the defending champion.
After losing three matches, the Longhorns revived themselves against Stanford with 3-1 to reach the finals and dominate the Huskers with a 25-22, 25-14, 25-11 set to lift the title for the third time under coach Jerritt Elliott.