2012 Gridiron Power Index (GPI) Debuts With the Reigning Division I Champ as No. 1

The Gridiron Power Index (GPI), the index ranking for the NCAA Division I FCS and a top indicator of at-large playoff selection debuts for the 2012-13 season with unbeaten and defending national champion North Dakota State in the top spot.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference has six teams in the top 25; the Big Sky and Southern Conferences have four teams each; the Colonial Athletic Association and Southland Conference have three each; the Ohio Valley Conference has two; Northeast and Big South Conferences plus the Ivy League each have one. (Games through 10/8/12)

For conference average rankings, the Missouri Valley Football Conference has a clear lead with the Southern and Big Sky Conferences knotted close behind. Also the Colonial Athletic Association plus the Southland and Ohio Valley Conferences are hovering tightly within reach.

The Final 2012 GPI will be released once all the college football games have been played, in January 2013. The GPI is an exclusive property of College Sporting News, maintained since 2001 and has been used officially by the NCAA since 2008 for selecting specific Division I Football National Championship tournament participants.

10/09/2012 GPI Top 25
Rank, School, Rating
1. N Dakota St (1.00)
2. Montana St (5.00)
3. E Washington (5.43)
4. Old Dominion (6.00)
5. Cal Poly (6.57)
6. Youngstown St (7.29)
7. Ga Southern (7.43)
8T. James Madison (9.14)
8T. Wofford (9.14)
10. Harvard (11.86)
11. Northern Arizona (13.00)
12. S Dakota St (15.00)
13. Sam Houston St (16.00)
14. Appalachian St (16.57)
15. Stony Brook (17.00)
16. Illinois St (17.71)
17. Cent Arkansas (18.86)
18. Tennessee St (19.14)
19. McNeese St (19.71)
20. Northern Iowa (20.14)
21. Albany (20.57)
22. New Hampshire (20.71)
23. E Kentucky (21.57)
24. Samford (21.71)
25. Indiana St (22.86)

Conference Ranking:
Rank, League, Total Average
1. Missouri Valley Football Conference (25.34)
2. Southern Conference (30.00)
3. Big Sky Conference (33.18)
4. Colonial Athletic Association (37.01)
5. Southland Conference (38.77)
6. Ohio Valley Conference (42.00)
7. Ivy League (53.50)
8. Patriot League (57.63)
9. Big South Conference (63.86)
10. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (65.61)
11. Northeast Conference (66.83)
12. Southwestern Athletic Conference (75.96)
13. Pioneer Football League (76.77)

Full GPI Detail:
http://www.collegesportingnews.com/s...0121009GPI.htm

Conference Ranking Detail:

1. Missouri Valley Football Conference (25.34)
1. N Dakota St (1.00)
6. Youngstown St (7.29)
12. S Dakota St (15.00)
16. Illinois St (17.71)
20. Northern Iowa (20.14)
25. Indiana St (22.86)
34. S Illinois (33.29)
43. W Illinois (37.86)
53. South Dakota (46.29)
63T. Missouri St (52.00)

2. Southern Conference (30.00)
7. Ga Southern (7.43)
8T. Wofford (9.14)
14. Appalachian St (16.57)
24. Samford (21.71)
36. Chattanooga (33.71)
37. The Citadel (34.00)
48. Furman (40.86)
51. Elon (44.86)
78. W Carolina (61.71)

3. Big Sky Conference (33.18)
2. Montana St (5.00)
3. E Washington (5.43)
5. Cal Poly (6.57)
11. Northern Arizona (13.00)
29. Montana (27.29)
32. North Dakota (31.86)
35. UC Davis (33.57)
42. Southern Utah (37.29)
44Sacramento St38.29
49. Portland St (41.71)
63T. Weber St (52.00)
79T. N Colorado (62.43)
97. Idaho St (76.86)

4. Colonial Athletic Association (37.01)
4. Old Dominion (6.00)
8T. James Madison (9.14)
22. New Hampshire (20.71)
26. Towson (23.71)
27T. Richmond (27.00)
31. Villanova (28.43)
41. Delaware (36.29)
47. Maine (40.57)
63T. William & Mary (52.00)
101. Rhode Island (78.71)
109. Georgia St (84.57)

5. Southland Conference (38.77)
13. Sam Houston St (16.00)
17. Cent Arkansas (18.86)
19. McNeese St (19.71)
38. SF Austin (34.57)
50. Northwestern St (42.57)
61. SE Louisiana (51.29)
71T. Nicholls St (59.71)
84. Lamar (67.43)

6. Ohio Valley Conference (42.00)
18. Tennessee St (19.14)
23. E Kentucky (21.57)
30. TN Martin (28.29)
33. E Illinois (33.00)
39. Jacksonville St (35.43)
40. Murray St (36.00)
71T. SE Missouri St (59.71)
82. Tennessee Tech (63.86)
103T. Austin Peay (81.00)

7. Ivy League (53.50)
10. Harvard (11.86)
45T. Brown (40.00)
55T. Dartmouth (49.00)
60. Princeton (50.86)
66. Cornell (54.00)
77. Penn (61.43)
102. Yale (79.86)
103T. Columbia (81.00)

8. Patriot League (57.63)
27T. Lehigh (27.00)
57T. Colgate (49.57)
62. Fordham (51.43)
75T. Lafayette (60.86)
85. Holy Cross (67.71)
91. Georgetown (70.43)
95. Bucknell (76.43)

9. Big South Conference (63.86)
15. Stony Brook (17.00)
54. Coastal Car (47.43)
73. Liberty (59.86)
98. Gardner Webb (77.43)
99. VMI (77.86)
106. Presbyterian (82.57)
110. Charleston So (84.86)

10. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (65.61)
45T. Bethune-Cookman (40.00)
59. Howard (50.29)
70. NC Central (59.00)
75T. S Carolina St (60.86)
79T. Florida A&M (62.43)
81. Delaware St (63.43)
86. Norfolk St (68.71)
87T. Morgan St (68.86)
92. NC A&T (74.43)
105. Hampton (81.71)
119. Savannah St (92.00)

11. Northeast Conference (66.83)
21. Albany (20.57)
57T. Monmouth (49.57)
68. Duquesne (56.14)
83. St Francis (65.86)
87T. Wagner (68.86)
96. Robert Morris (76.71)
108. Sacred Heart (84.14)
114. Central Conn (89.29)
118. Bryant (90.29)

12. Southwestern Athletic Conference (75.96)
52. Alabama A&M (45.00)
69. Alabama St (56.86)
74. Ark Pine Bluff (60.57)
93. Jackson St (75.00)
100. Southern Univ (78.00)
111T. Alcorn St (86.57)
113. Prairie View (88.00)
115. MS Valley St (89.43)
116. TX Southern (90.00)
117. Grambling (90.14)

13. Pioneer Football League (76.77)
55T. Drake (49.00)
67. Jacksonville (54.57)
89. San Diego (69.14)
90. Butler (69.57)
94. Dayton (76.14)
107. Marist (83.00)
111T. Morehead St (85.57)
120. Campbell (92.43)
121. Davidson (94.00)
122. Valparaiso (94.29)