Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about The Index and college basketball rankings

General Questions

What is The Index?

The Index is a composite college basketball ranking system that aggregates multiple authoritative ranking sources into a single, comprehensive power ranking. We combine the AP Poll, Coaches Poll, NCAA NET, and SRS ratings to provide a balanced view of team strength.

How is The Index Score calculated?

The Index Score is the average of each team's ranking across all available sources:

Index Score = (AP Rank + Coaches Rank + NET Rank + SRS Rank) / Number of Sources

Teams are then sorted by their composite score, with lower scores indicating stronger rankings. If a team isn't ranked in a particular poll, we only average the rankings that are available.

Why combine multiple rankings instead of using just one?

Each ranking source has different strengths and methodologies:

  • Human polls (AP, Coaches) capture intangibles, recent performance, and "eye test" factors
  • Computer rankings (NET, SRS) provide objective, data-driven analysis free from bias

By combining them, The Index creates a more balanced and comprehensive view of team strength that no single source can provide alone.

How often are rankings updated?

Daily updates (6:00 AM ET): NCAA NET and SRS rankings refresh every morning to reflect the latest game results.

Weekly updates (Monday 2:00 PM ET): AP Poll and Coaches Poll are updated when new polls are released each Monday during the season.

Understanding the Rankings

What is the AP Poll?

The Associated Press Top 25 is the most recognized poll in college basketball. It has been published since 1948 and is voted on by a panel of 61 sports writers and broadcasters from across the country.

Voters rank their top 25 teams each week, with points awarded on a descending scale (25 points for first place, 24 for second, etc.). The poll is released every Monday during the season.

What is the Coaches Poll?

The USA Today Coaches Poll is voted on by a panel of Division I head coaches. It provides an insider's perspective on team strength from those who study film and game-plan against these teams.

Like the AP Poll, coaches rank their top 25 teams weekly, and the poll is released every Monday.

What is the NCAA NET ranking?

The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) is the official ranking system used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. It replaced the RPI in 2018 and is considered a more sophisticated metric.

NET factors in:

  • Game results and winning percentage
  • Strength of schedule
  • Game location (home, away, neutral)
  • Scoring margin (capped at 10 points)
  • Net offensive and defensive efficiency

Because the selection committee uses NET, it's crucial for understanding March Madness seeding.

What is SRS (Simple Rating System)?

SRS is a rating system from Sports Reference that measures team strength based on point differential and strength of schedule. A team's SRS rating represents their expected point differential versus an average Division I team.

For example, a team with an SRS of +15 would be expected to beat an average team by 15 points on a neutral court. SRS is valuable because it's purely results-based and adjusts for schedule difficulty.

What do the 7D and 30D columns mean?

7D (7-Day Change): How much a team's Index Score has changed over the past week. Green indicates improvement (lower score = higher ranking), red indicates decline.

30D (30-Day Change): How much a team's Index Score has changed over the past month. This shows longer-term trends in team performance.

Using The Index

How do I compare teams over time?

Use the interactive chart at the top of the rankings page. Click on any team row to add them to the comparison chart (up to 6 teams). You can also use the search box to find and add specific teams.

Toggle between time periods (1 Week, 1 Month, 3 Months, Season) to see how rankings have changed over different spans.

How do I filter by conference?

Use the quick-filter chips below the navigation (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, etc.) to instantly filter rankings by conference. You can also use the "Conference..." dropdown to select any conference.

The "All Teams" view shows complete rankings beyond just the Top 25.

What is "Game of the Day"?

On the Today's Matchups page, we highlight the most compelling game featuring ranked teams. This is determined by factors like combined ranking, competitiveness of the matchup, and significance of the game.

What do the hot and cold indicators mean?

Teams are marked as "hot" (fire emoji) or "cold" (snowflake emoji) based on their recent performance trends.

  • Hot: Team has been rising significantly in the rankings recently
  • Cold: Team has been falling significantly in the rankings recently

Technical Questions

Where does the data come from?

We collect data from official sources:

  • AP Poll: Associated Press
  • Coaches Poll: USA Today
  • NCAA NET: NCAA official rankings
  • SRS: Sports Reference
  • Schedules & Scores: ESPN
Why might a team be missing a ranking?

The AP and Coaches polls only rank 25 teams, so teams outside the Top 25 won't have an AP or Coaches ranking. NET and SRS rank all Division I teams.

When calculating the Index Score, we only average the rankings that are available for each team.