The Dunkel Index, also known as the Dunkel College Football Index, 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. Dunkel rated college football teams from 1929 until his death in 1975. His ratings are recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in its Football Bowl Subdivision record book. The NCAA describes Dunkel's methodology as a "power index system." Dunkel described his system an index and claimed that "his difference by scores is scientifically produced." It was cited as the first college football ratings system.
From the late 1930s through the early 1960s, Dunkel also hosted a weekly radio program called "Dick Dunkel Football Forecasts".
Dunkel died at age 69 in December 1975 at Daytona Beach, Florida. From 1975 to 2002, Dunkel's son, Dick Dunkel, Jr., continued to issue ratings, 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.
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.
Season Champion 1929 Notre Dame 1930 Notre Dame 1931 USC 1932 USC 1933 Ohio State 1934 Alabama 1935 Princeton 1936 Minnesota 1937 California 1938 Tennessee 1939 Texas A&M 1940 Tennessee 1941 Minnesota 1942 Ohio State 1943 Notre Dame 1944 Army 1945 Army 1946 Notre Dame 1947 Michigan 1948 Michigan 1949 Notre Dame 1950 Tennessee 1951 Maryland 1952 Michigan State 1953 Notre Dame 1954 UCLA 1955 Oklahoma 1956 Oklahoma 1957 Michigan State 1958 LSU 1959 Ole Miss 1960 Ole Miss 1961 Alabama 1962 USC 1963 Texas 1964 Michigan 1965 Michigan State 1966 Notre Dame 1967 Notre Dame 1968 Ohio State 1969 Texas 1970 Nebraska 1971 Nebraska 1972 USC 1973 Oklahoma 1974 Oklahoma 1975 Oklahoma 1976 USC 1977 Notre Dame 1978 Oklahoma 1979 Alabama 1980 Oklahoma 1981 Penn State 1982 Penn State 1983 Miami 1984 Florida 1985 Oklahoma 1986 Oklahoma 1987 Miami 1988 Notre Dame 1989 Miami 1990 Georgia Tech 1991 Washington 1992 Alabama 1993 Florida State 1994 Florida State 1995 Nebraska 1996 Florida 1997 Nebraska 1998 Tennessee 1999 Florida State 2000 Oklahoma 2001 Miami 2002 USC 2003 LSU 2004 USC 2005 Texas 2006 Florida 2007 USC† 2008 Florida 2009 Alabama 2010 Auburn 2011 Alabama 2012 Alabama 2013 Florida State
† Dunkel's archived official website gives USC as its 2007 selection, while the 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Dunkel's selection as LSU.
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).
Other sports Dunkel started continuously issuing college basketball ratings in 1935. Weekly ratings were eventually distributed by Converse, Sears, and Pabst Brewing Company starting as early as 1939. 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.
See also NCAA Division I FBS national football championship
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