LSU v Iowa is the Most Watched Women’s Basketball Game of All-Time

I think it's fair to say that the Louisiana State University matchup versus Iowa matchup lived up to the hype. While our LSU Tigers came up on the short end of the stick, it was one heck of a battle. And truly, when you do a deep dive into the numbers, the real winners were the fans. Historically speaking, this might be the match-up between powerhouse teams & giant personalities that takes women's athletics to new heights.

LSU vs Iowa Was the Most Watched Women's Game Ever

Going into Monday's rematch, I can't think of a time where women's college basketball got so much air time & attention. Sportscenter was talking about the matchup. Every sports talk show in the country was talking about this game. "Experts" were breaking down the match up between Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese. There trash talk between fans online. This was getting hyped up like we were talking about Magic v Bird in the 80s. A rivalry for the ages.

All the hype surrounding this game paid off. According to the latest reports, the Elite Eight matchup average 12.3 million viewers on ESPN. That makes it the most watched women's college basketball game of all time. It's almost makes it one of the most watched sports games period over the last 12 months.

How Many People Watched LSU v Iowa?

Ok, 12.3 million people watched the LSU v Iowa match, but what does that actually mean? To put it in perspective, ratings wise, that means more people watched LSU v Iowa than ANY other sporting event other than a handful of NFL games.

It beat the World Series in viewership. It beat the NBA Finals in the ratings. It beat EVERY college football game ratings wise except for Michigan v Ohio State. It beat just about everything.

Just look at this list, it's pretty darn impressive.

On top of all that, allegedly, this is the most watched college basketball game ever on ESPN. Men or women's.

What Does This Mean Long Term For Women's Sports?

Right now, that is yet to be determined. All the experts are projecting this weekend's games to fall short of this one. There's lots of reasons for that projection - this particular game was a rivalry game between two of the biggest stars in women's sports, two recognizable teams, etc., etc..

I mean, despite the fact South Carolina is one of the most dominant women's teams of all-time, I bet the average fan can't name a single player on the team. But, those same fans know Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. Again, while not quite Magic v Bird, this is the closest rivalry women's sports have ever had.

Now, while this weekend's games aren't expected to have the same amount of viewers, there is an expectation that more eyeballs will be tuning in than in years past, which is a good thing.

Is This the End of the Caitlin Clark v Angel Reese Rivalry?

The short answer is this - yet to be determined. Technically, both girls are seniors. But, thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, both get an extra year of eligibility. I think it's unlikely, that either girl comes back for a super senior season, but stranger things have happened. Plus, both probably are making more money now than they would as a 'star' in the WNBA thanks to NIL deals.

Clark, allegedly, has a 5 million dollar offer on the table for the BIG3 league run by Ice Cube. Reese has been doing modeling and all sorts of other things outside the world of basketball.

Selfishly, I'd love to see another rematch between these two fierce competitors. Not only is it great to see, but it's good for women's athletics overall. But, time will tell whether or not this is the end or the beginning of the rivalry between the two stars.