The Madness FCS Power Rankings
The Madness FCS Power Rankings are a relatively basic power rating system when compared to the highly complex systems involving comparative scoring formulas. This system uses no comparative scoring, so any parallel between this and other ranking systems is purely coincidental. There is also no momentum involved in these rankings, so “What have you done for me lately?” does not apply. Everything is valued as a whole. The objective remains the same though; to create an unbiased mechanism to sort the general strength of the 128 teams within the Football Championship Subdivision.
Teams are awarded for Wins and Points Scored, then penalized for Losses and Points Allowed. Teams also receive a ‘Stature Constant’. These have been backed by historical data, but can and will be adjusted, if an obvious error has been identified. Teams from the full-scholarship automatic qualifying FCS conferences get the highest value. Non- or less than full-scholarship FCS conference teams get a middle value. And those from non-automatic leagues get the lowest value. This is done to lessen the effects of a superior team in a weak conference from building huge point margins and manipulating the system.
Teams will also gain bonuses for beating FCS teams. This has also been tweaked, giving a little more weight to those who beat Power Five teams as opposed to Group of Five teams. Also, a team will be penalized for losing to a school from a class below FCS (Division II, Division III, NAIA, NCCAA). The final piece of the puzzle is an RPI-style Strength of Schedule multiplier, where teams get bonuses and demerits just for playing teams listed previously in this paragraph.
The first rankings will appear after Week 4, September 25. These will be available on the Madness no later than Monday every week. There will also be a final edition released after the FCS Championship game in January. Like most ranking systems, a very strong or weak schedule or huge upsets, one way or the other, can have a drastic impact early on. As the season progresses the numbers, and teams, will sort themselves out and be much truer towards the end. So, if the rankings appear a little skewed early on, give it a little time. There’s no bias involved in the ratings and no human factors whatsoever.
| RANK | TEAM | RATING | Won | Lost | Prev | RANK | CONFERENCE | RATING | |
| 1 | James Madison | 45.48 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | MISSOURI VALLEY | 23.63 | |
| 2 | Sam Houston State | 35.63 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 2 | COLONIAL | 19.65 | |
| 3 | Missouri State | 35.24 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | AQ7 | 19.24 | |
| 4 | Montana | 34.04 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | SOUTHERN | 19.07 | |
| 5 | Montana State | 33.37 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 5 | BIG SKY | 16.88 | |
| 6 | Villanova | 32.24 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | IVY LEAGUE | 14.69 | |
| 7 | Harvard | 29.96 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 7 | BIG SOUTH | 14.11 | |
| 8 | Princeton | 29.62 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | SOUTHLAND | 13.42 | |
| 9 | Northern Iowa | 29.56 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | OHIO VALLEY | 11.26 | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois | 29.15 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | PATRIOT | 9.91 | |
| 11 | East Tennessee State | 28.85 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 11 | PIONEER | 6.52 | |
| 12 | North Dakota State | 28.40 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 12 | NORTHEAST | 5.60 | |
| 13 | South Dakota State | 26.99 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 13 | SOUTHWESTERN | 5.56 | |
| 14 | Eastern Washington | 26.52 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 14 | MID-EASTERN | 3.94 | |
| 15 | Mercer | 26.50 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 15 | WESTERN | 1.64 | |
| 16 | Incarnate Word | 25.37 | 4 | 1 | 11 | ||||
| 17 | UC-Davis | 25.28 | 5 | 0 | 22 | ||||
| 18 | Rhode Island | 23.60 | 4 | 0 | 18 | ||||
| 19 | Samford | 22.96 | 2 | 3 | 21 | ||||
| 20 | Dartmouth | 22.92 | 3 | 0 | 14 | ||||
| 21 | South Dakota | 22.48 | 3 | 2 | 36 | ||||
| 22 | Stephen F. Austin | 22.32 | 3 | 2 | 28 | ||||
| 23 | Holy Cross | 22.06 | 3 | 2 | 16 | ||||
| 24 | Campbell | 21.57 | 2 | 2 | 30 | ||||
| 25 | North Dakota | 21.25 | 2 | 2 | 23 | ||||
| 26 | William & Mary | 20.83 | 3 | 1 | 34 | ||||
| 27 | Monmouth | 20.65 | 3 | 2 | 53 | ||||
| 28 | Southeastern Louisiana | 20.24 | 3 | 1 | 27 | ||||
| 29 | Central Arkansas | 20.21 | 2 | 3 | 52 | ||||
| 30 | Austin Peay | 20.03 | 2 | 3 | 24 | ||||
| 31 | Weber State | 19.89 | 2 | 3 | 38 | ||||
| 32 | North Carolina A&T | 18.73 | 2 | 2 | 45 | ||||
| 33 | Furman | 18.44 | 2 | 2 | 47 | ||||
| 34 | Charleston Southern | 18.42 | 1 | 2 | 51 | ||||
| 35 | Nicholls | 17.81 | 2 | 2 | 41 | ||||
| 36 | Illinois State | 17.72 | 2 | 3 | 29 | ||||
| 37 | Youngstown State | 17.70 | 1 | 3 | 19 | ||||
| 38 | Tennessee-Martin | 17.61 | 3 | 1 | 26 | ||||
| 39 | Western Illinois | 17.60 | 1 | 4 | 35 | ||||
| 40 | New Hampshire | 17.46 | 3 | 2 | 40 | ||||
| 41 | Delaware | 17.39 | 3 | 1 | 32 | ||||
| 42 | Abilene Christian | 17.16 | 3 | 2 | 25 | ||||
| 43 | Chattanooga | 16.86 | 2 | 2 | 37 | ||||
| 44 | Virginia Military | 16.80 | 3 | 2 | 33 | ||||
| 45 | Columbia | 16.27 | 2 | 1 | 31 | ||||
| 46 | Eastern Kentucky | 16.25 | 3 | 2 | 42 | ||||
| 47 | Wofford | 15.94 | 1 | 3 | 56 | ||||
| 48 | Elon | 15.90 | 2 | 3 | 59 | ||||
| 49 | Kennesaw State | 15.60 | 3 | 1 | 61 | ||||
| 50 | The Citadel | 15.57 | 2 | 2 | 71 | ||||
| 51 | Northern Arizona | 15.49 | 2 | 3 | 64 | ||||
| 52 | Jacksonville State | 15.29 | 2 | 3 | 39 | ||||
| 53 | Duquesne | 14.84 | 3 | 1 | 78 | ||||
| 54 | Murray State | 14.67 | 2 | 2 | 62 | ||||
| 55 | Stony Brook | 13.83 | 1 | 4 | 58 | ||||
| 56 | Southern Utah | 13.57 | 1 | 4 | 55 | ||||
| 57 | Towson | 13.56 | 1 | 3 | 49 | ||||
| 58 | Merrimack | 13.56 | 3 | 2 | 43 | ||||
| 59 | Maine | 13.50 | 1 | 3 | 57 | ||||
| 60 | Richmond | 13.48 | 2 | 3 | 44 | ||||
| 61 | Idaho | 13.35 | 1 | 3 | 68 | ||||
| 62 | Fordham | 13.10 | 2 | 3 | 75 | ||||
| 63 | Lafayette | 12.99 | 1 | 4 | 48 | ||||
| 64 | Norfolk State | 12.92 | 3 | 2 | 76 | ||||
| 65 | Albany | 12.88 | 0 | 4 | 50 | ||||
| 66 | Southeast Missouri State | 12.56 | 1 | 4 | 46 | ||||
| 67 | Prairie View A&M | 12.22 | 4 | 1 | 69 | ||||
| 68 | Indiana State | 11.53 | 2 | 3 | 54 | ||||
| 69 | Northern Colorado | 11.44 | 2 | 3 | 67 | ||||
| 70 | Portland State | 11.41 | 2 | 3 | 87 | ||||
| 71 | Bryant | 11.39 | 3 | 2 | 70 | ||||
| 72 | Gardner-Webb | 11.16 | 2 | 3 | 63 | ||||
| 73 | Davidson | 10.95 | 3 | 1 | 85 | ||||
| 74 | Dayton | 10.78 | 2 | 2 | 60 | ||||
| 75 | Yale | 10.77 | 2 | 1 | 66 | ||||
| 76 | Morehead State | 10.72 | 2 | 2 | 96 | ||||
| 77 | Lamar | 10.65 | 2 | 2 | 65 | ||||
| 78 | Colgate | 9.83 | 2 | 3 | 77 | ||||
| 79 | Hampton | 9.69 | 2 | 2 | 86 | ||||
| 80 | Jackson State | 9.61 | 3 | 1 | 79 | ||||
| 81 | Georgetown | 9.33 | 1 | 3 | 80 | ||||
| 82 | Sacramento State | 8.81 | 2 | 2 | 81 | ||||
| 83 | Presbyterian | 8.11 | 2 | 2 | 93 | ||||
| 84 | Alabama A&M | 8.07 | 3 | 1 | 73 | ||||
| 85 | Tennessee State | 8.03 | 2 | 3 | 100 | ||||
| 86 | Stetson | 7.99 | 2 | 2 | 83 | ||||
| 87 | Western Carolina | 7.84 | 0 | 5 | 74 | ||||
| 88 | Eastern Illinois | 7.57 | 1 | 5 | 89 | ||||
| 89 | St. Francis | 7.13 | 2 | 3 | 95 | ||||
| 90 | Florida A&M | 7.13 | 2 | 2 | 104 | ||||
| 91 | North Alabama | 6.97 | 0 | 5 | 101 | ||||
| 92 | Alcorn State | 6.77 | 2 | 2 | 82 | ||||
| 93 | Northwestern State | 6.77 | 0 | 4 | 103 | ||||
| 94 | McNeese | 6.70 | 1 | 4 | 72 | ||||
| 95 | Penn | 6.47 | 1 | 2 | 102 | ||||
| 96 | Cal Poly | 6.16 | 1 | 4 | 84 | ||||
| 97 | Robert Morris | 6.02 | 1 | 2 | 94 | ||||
| 98 | Houston Baptist | 5.97 | 0 | 4 | 90 | ||||
| 99 | Idaho State | 5.66 | 0 | 4 | 88 | ||||
| 100 | Brown | 5.62 | 0 | 3 | 109 | ||||
| 101 | Sacred Heart | 5.36 | 2 | 3 | 98 | ||||
| 102 | Marist | 5.28 | 1 | 2 | 114 | ||||
| 103 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 4.98 | 1 | 3 | 106 | ||||
| 104 | Drake | 4.90 | 2 | 3 | 111 | ||||
| 105 | Butler | 4.88 | 2 | 3 | 91 | ||||
| 106 | Tarleton State | 4.87 | 2 | 3 | 92 | ||||
| 107 | Grambling State | 4.46 | 2 | 3 | 119 | ||||
| 108 | Tennessee Tech | 4.41 | 1 | 4 | 115 | ||||
| 109 | Southern | 4.38 | 2 | 2 | 105 | ||||
| 110 | South Carolina State | 4.19 | 1 | 3 | 112 | ||||
| 111 | Bucknell | 4.18 | 1 | 3 | 116 | ||||
| 112 | St. Thomas | 3.90 | 2 | 2 | 99 | ||||
| 113 | Delaware State | 3.69 | 2 | 3 | 113 | ||||
| 114 | San Diego | 3.66 | 1 | 4 | 118 | ||||
| 115 | Cornell | 3.44 | 0 | 3 | 97 | ||||
| 116 | Bethune-Cookman | 3.39 | 0 | 5 | 107 | ||||
| 117 | North Carolina Central | 3.35 | 2 | 3 | 108 | ||||
| 118 | Howard | 2.60 | 1 | 4 | 121 | ||||
| 119 | Alabama State | 2.12 | 2 | 2 | 110 | ||||
| 120 | Lehigh | 1.57 | 0 | 5 | 117 | ||||
| 121 | Wagner | 1.42 | 0 | 5 | 120 | ||||
| 122 | Mississippi Valley State | 1.31 | 1 | 3 | 126 | ||||
| 123 | Valparaiso | 0.70 | 1 | 4 | 123 | ||||
| 124 | Texas Southern | 0.18 | 0 | 3 | 122 | ||||
| 125 | Morgan State | -0.25 | 0 | 4 | 125 | ||||
| 126 | Central Connecticut State | -0.61 | 1 | 3 | 124 | ||||
| 127 | Long Island | -2.05 | 0 | 3 | 127 | ||||
| 128 | Dixie State | -4.46 | 0 | 4 | 128 |
