Georgia Tech-Georgia Rivalary Matchup Draws Massive TV Viewership

Georgia Tech lost to Georgia in eight overtimes last weekend

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech in Athens, Ga., on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Georgia Tech went to eight overtimes in their attempt to knock off arch-rival Georgia, but fell just short. It was the Yellow Jackets best performance in years against the Bulldogs and Brent Key's team was close to being able to pull off a huge upset. It was a huge game and a lot of people tuned in to watch the game,

An average of 8.5 million television viewers – the largest average audience to watch a regular-season game involving an Atlantic Coast Conference team since Week 1 of the 2023 season – was tuned in for the 118th edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate between Georgia Tech and archrival Georgia last Friday on ABC.

Viewership of the eight-overtime epic peaked at 11.5 million during the game’s extra periods, which didn’t conclude until after midnight ET.

• With its average of 8.5 million viewers, the Tech-UGA TV audience was:

• college football’s 12th-largest of the 2024 season;

• 
  the second-largest non-Saturday audience of the season (behind only 8.6 million viewers for LSU-USC on Sunday night of Labor Day weekend);

• 
  the largest for a regular-season game involving an ACC team since the opening weekend of the 2023 season (Florida State-LSU on Sunday night of Labor Day weekend);

• 
  the largest for a Black Friday game since 2011;

• 
  the largest ever for the Georgia Tech-Georgia rivalry.

The massive audience for its regular-season finale also marked the third time this season that Georgia Tech drew an average of at least 3.46 million viewers (4.99 million vs. Florida State – Aug. 24 and 3.46 million vs. Miami (Fla.) – Nov. 9). Tech joins Miami as the only ACC teams with three average TV audiences of at least 3.46 million viewers in 2024.

After the game, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key shared what his message was to his team after a heartbreaking loss like that:

"Sucks. Losing stinks. Losing like this, told them there's no moral victories. I'm proud asa heck of them. I'm proud of the seniors and what they've done for this program. I'm proud of everybody that's on that sideline, and the work they put in, really since January, they've never wavered, they've hit obstacles and they've overcome them. They've truly cemented what our vision is of the Tech way."

It was one of the gutsiest performances in Georgia Tech history from Haynes King last Friday night. King threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns as well as running for 110 yards and three touchdowns. After the game, Key spoke about him and his performance, as well as what this game signals for the program moving forward:

""He's a warrior. He's one of the toughest kids I've ever been around in my life. He wills others around. Proud of him. Proud of all of them.

"Correct, but, the game's-- there's so much about college football that's special, And there's so many things that as a college football coach that you take pride in. Yeah, the judgment comes from when the scoreboard hits zero. But the things we do with these kids and to see these kids grow and mature, to see them do what they do in school, do what they do socially, do what they do each week on the football field, they're special. They're special. And it hurts. It hurts them. That locker room, I've never seen anything like that. What I know about these kids, what I know about this team, what I know about this school, this emotion will turn into fuel, and we'll use that fuel."

While nobody will want to take pleasure in moral victories, there is a lot to like about what Georgia Tech showed against Georgia and what the future holds. Recruiting is excellent right now for Key and his program and they perform well in big games. This is two straight seasons where they have had a chance to beat Georgia but came up a little short. When the two teams meet next year, things might be different.

Additional Links:

Georgia Tech Football: Live 2025 Signing Day Tracker for the Yellow Jackets

Report: Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt Finalizing New Five-Year Deal That Will Extend Him Through 2029

Georgia Tech Football: Brent Key Believes There Was A Missed Targeting Call At End Of Game vs Georgia