Dunkel Index
American college football rating system
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dunkel Index, also known as the Dunkel College Football Index,[1][2] is a sports team rating system and pick service originally developed in 1929 by Richard C. "Dick" Dunkel, Sr. (1906–1975) to mathematically calculate the best college football teams.[3] Dunkel rated college football teams from 1929 until his death in 1975.[4] His ratings are recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in its Football Bowl Subdivision record book.[4] The NCAA describes Dunkel's methodology as a "power index system."[4] Dunkel described his system an index and claimed that "his difference by scores is scientifically produced."[5] It was cited as the first college football ratings system.[6]
| |
| Abbreviation | DuS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1929 |
| Purpose | college football ratings, national championship selections |
| Website | https://www.dunkelindex.com/ |
From the late 1930s through the early 1960s, Dunkel also hosted a weekly radio program called "Dick Dunkel Football Forecasts".[7][8][9]
Dunkel died at age 69 in December 1975 at Daytona Beach, Florida.[10] From 1975 to 2002, Dunkel's son, Dick Dunkel, Jr., continued to issue ratings,[4] but the popularity of the syndicated service declined. Starting in 2002, the rankings were prepared jointly by Dick Dunkel, Jr., Bob Dunkel, and John Duck, executive producer of the Daytona Beach News Journal.[4]
Dunkel college football national champions
The following list identifies the college football national champions as selected by the Dunkel Index, according to the 2015 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book.[4]
† Dunkel's archived official website gives USC as its 2007 selection,[11] while the 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Dunkel's selection as LSU.[12]: 112
The July, 2023, website for the Dunkel Index displays revised rankings for seasons from 2002 to the present, based on "index rating for the season adjusted by won/loss record", which results in different top-ranked teams (compared to the Dunkel "pure index rating") for the 2005 through 2010 seasons (specifically, USC, Ohio State, LSU, USC, Texas, and Oregon, in that chronological order).[13]
Other sports
Dunkel started continuously issuing college basketball ratings in 1935.[14] Weekly ratings were eventually distributed by Converse, Sears, and Pabst Brewing Company starting as early as 1939.[15][16][17][18][19] After Dick passed down duties to his son, Dick Jr. and his brother Bob began rating professional basketball and football teams. Today, sports include football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer.