Dickinson System
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The Dickinson System was a mathematical point formula that awarded national championships in college football. Devised by University of Illinois economics professor Frank G. Dickinson, the system crowned national champions from 1926 to 1940, and included predated rankings for 1924 and 1925.
The Dickinson System was the first to gain widespread national public and media acceptance as a "major selector", according to the NCAA Football Records Book[1] prior to the establishment of the Associated Press poll in 1936.
Dickinson System champions were awarded the Rissman National Trophy, named after a Chicago clothing manufacturer, which was retired in 1930 by Notre Dame, and later the Knute Rockne Intercollegiate Memorial Trophy.[2]
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[edit] How It Worked
An explanation for the mathematical calculations was usually given as part of the story of the season ending rankings. In 1927, the AP story about the "national football championship" for that year noted that "Scores of 96 football teams were compiled by Dr. Dickinson in seven football conferences, including an Eastern group of 25 leading teams regarded for convenience as a conference...
"The Dickinson system awards 30 points for a victory over a strong team, and 20 for victory over a weak team. Defeats count half as much as victories [15 pts vs. strong team, 10 pts vs. weak team], and ties are considered as games half won and half lost [22.5 points vs. strong, 15 vs. weak]. Dividing this total by the number of games played gives the final rating."[3] Illinois, which played 8 games, had 172 points overall and a 21.50 rating. Professor Dickinson later added another variable, a "sectional rating" which provided for different points in a games where the teams were from different sections of the country.[4]
[edit] Dickinson System National Champions
- 1924 Notre Dame
- 1925 Dartmouth
- 1926 Stanford
- 1927 Illinois
- 1928 USC
- 1929 Notre Dame
- 1930 Notre Dame
- 1931 USC
- 1932 Michigan
- 1933 Michigan
- 1934 Minnesota
- 1935 Southern Methodist University
- 1936 Minnesota
- 1937 University of Pittsburgh
- 1938 Notre Dame
- 1939 USC
- 1940 Minnesota
[edit] References
- ^ USC Now Will Recognize Its 1939 Football Team As A National Champion :: Trojan have 10 national champs in the sport
- ^ Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Football
- ^ "ILLINOIS BEST FOOTBALL TEAM OF YEAR," The Syracuse Herald, Dec. 4, 1927, p23
- ^ "Dickinson Discovers Gophers Are Nation's Best Football Eleven," The Vidette-Messenger (Valparaiso,IN), Dec. 3, 1940, p6
- OFFICIAL 2006 NCAA DIVISIONS I-A and I-AA FOOTBALL RECORDS BOOK, pg. 75
- Past Division I-A Football National Champions, NCAA
