North Dakota State Remains No. 1 in Gridiron Power Index

CHICAGO, Ill.--The Gridiron Power Index (GPI), the index ranking for the NCAA Division I FCS and a top indicator of at-large playoff selection is unanimous with defending national champion North Dakota State firmly at No. 1.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference has six teams in the top 25; the Big Sky Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association have four teams each; the Ohio Valley, Southland and Southern Conferences have three each; the Big South Conference plus the Ivy League each have one. (Games through 11/3/12)

For conference average rankings, the Missouri Valley Football Conference continues as the top league and the Big Sky and Southern Conferences slot at two and three. The Southland and Ohio Valley Conferences are nearly tied at four and five while the Colonial Athletic Association is a solid six.

The Final 2012 GPI will be released once all the college football games have been played, in January 2013.

11/5/2012 GPI Top 25

Rank School (No. of #1 Ratings) (Rating)
1. N Dakota St (9) (1.00)
2. Sam Houston St (3.14)
3. Montana St (3.43)
4. E Washington (5.00)
5. Ga Southern (7.14)
6. Northern Arizona (7.43)
7. Illinois St (9.86)
8. Indiana St (10.29)
9. S Dakota St (10.43)
10. Cent Arkansas (11.00)
11. Stony Brook (12.71)
12. Cal Poly (13.29)
13. Old Dominion (13.71)
14. Appalachian St (14.14)
15. Wofford (17.43)
16. S Illinois (18.57)
17. TN Martin (18.86)
18. E Illinois (19.57)
19. Northern Iowa (21.86)
20. James Madison (22.00)
21. Towson (22.43)
22. McNeese St (22.57)
23. Harvard (22.86)
24. New Hampshire (23.00)
25. E Kentucky (23.29)

Conference Ranking:

Rank, League, Total Average
1. Missouri Valley Football Conference (22.80) 
2. Big Sky Conference (31.26) 
3. Southern Conference (31.44) 
4. Southland Conference (37.48) 
5. Ohio Valley Conference (37.62) 
6. Colonial Athletic Association (40.21) 
7. Ivy League (58.27) 
8. Patriot League (59.74) 
9. Big South Conference (63.10) 
10. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (65.51) 
11. Northeast Conference (66.44) 
12. Southwestern Athletic Conference (75.60) 
13. Pioneer Football League (76.24)

Full GPI Detail:

http://www.collegesportingnews.com/stats/writer/gpi/20121105GPI.htm

Conference Ranking Detail:

1. Missouri Valley Football Conference (22.80) 
1. N Dakota St (9) (1.00)
7. Illinois St (9.86)
8. Indiana St (10.29)
9. S Dakota St (10.43)
16. S Illinois (18.57)
19. Northern Iowa (21.86)
27. Youngstown St (25.29)
30. Missouri St (28.00)
59. South Dakota (51.14)
60. W Illinois (51.57)

2. Big Sky Conference (31.26) 
3. Montana St (3.43)
4. E Washington (5.00)
6. Northern Arizona (7.43)
12. Cal Poly (13.29)
34. Sacramento St (30.29)
37. North Dakota (32.43)
39. Southern Utah (33.57)
41. Montana (34.57)
45. Portland St (39.00)
47. UC Davis (41.71)
49T. N Colorado (42.57)
51. Weber St (45.57)
97. Idaho St (77.57)

3. Southern Conference (31.44) 
5. Ga Southern (7.14)
14. Appalachian St (14.14)
15. Wofford (17.43)
26. Chattanooga (24.43)
28. Samford (26.00)
42. The Citadel (35.00)
49T. Furman (42.57)
58. Elon (51.00)
83T. W Carolina (65.29)

4. Southland Conference (37.48) 
2. Sam Houston St (3.14)
10. Cent Arkansas (11.00)
22. McNeese St (22.57)
40. SF Austin (33.71)
53. Northwestern St (47.43)
57. SE Louisiana (49.71)
79T. Lamar (64.71)
86T. Nicholls St (67.57)

5. Ohio Valley Conference (37.62) 
17. TN Martin (18.86)
18. E Illinois (19.57)
25. E Kentucky (23.29)
31. Tennessee St (28.57)
32. Murray St (29.86)
33. Jacksonville St (30.14)
64. SE Missouri St (54.00)
71. Tennessee Tech (56.29)
98. Austin Peay (78.00)

6. Colonial Athletic Association (40.21) 
13. Old Dominion (13.71)
20. James Madison (22.00)
21. Towson (22.43)
24. New Hampshire (23.00)
29. Richmond (26.43)
35. Villanova (30.43)
46. Delaware (41.00)
52. Maine (45.71)
68T. William & Mary (55.00)
94. Georgia St (74.86)
113T. Rhode Island (87.71)

7. Ivy League (58.27) 
23. Harvard (22.86)
55. Princeton (48.43)
61. Brown (51.71)
70. Dartmouth (55.71)
72. Cornell (57.71)
77. Penn (62.43)
107T. Columbia (82.86)
111. Yale (84.43)

8. Patriot League (59.74) 
36. Lehigh (31.57)
48. Colgate (42.29)
68T. Fordham (55.00)
79T. Lafayette (64.71)
88. Georgetown (68.29)
96. Bucknell (77.00)
100. Holy Cross (79.29)

9. Big South Conference (63.10) 
11. Stony Brook (12.71)
43T. Coastal Carolina (38.57)
75. Liberty (61.00)
92. Gardner Webb (72.14)
101. Charleston So (79.57)
115. VMI (88.00)
116. Presbyterian (89.71)

10. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (65.51) 
38. Bethune-Cookman (33.29)
63. Delaware St (53.43)
65. NC Central (54.14)
67. S Carolina St (54.86)
76. NC A&T (61.71)
83T. Howard (65.29)
89. Florida A&M (69.14)
91. Morgan St (71.86)
105. Hampton (82.29)
106. Norfolk St (82.43)
118. Savannah St (92.14)

11. Northeast Conference (66.44) 
43T. Albany (38.57)
54. Wagner (47.86)
74. Monmouth (59.00)
79T. Duquesne (64.71)
93. St Francis (73.29)
95. Robert Morris (75.86)
99. Bryant (78.71)
102. Central Conn (79.86)
103. Sacred Heart (80.14)

12. Southwestern Athletic Conference (75.60) 
56. Ark Pine Bluff (48.86)
66. Alabama St (54.71)
78. Alabama A&M (63.43)
82. Jackson St (65.00)
107T. Prairie View (82.86)
109. Southern (83.57)
112. MS Valley St (86.71)
113T. Alcorn St (87.71)
117. TX Southern (90.86)
119. Grambling (92.29)

13. Pioneer Football League (76.24) 
62. San Diego (53.14)
73. Drake (58.29)
85. Butler (66.14)
86T. Jacksonville (67.57)
90. Dayton (71.29)
104. Marist (80.43)
110. Morehead St (84.29)
120. Davidson (93.14)
121. Valparaiso (93.57)

122. Campbell (94.57)