Dickinson System

 ( College Football Championships ) 

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 ranked national teams from 1924 to 1940. The 1924 ratings were made retroactively by Dickinson during the 1925 college football season, the first in which a number 1 team was designated at the end of the season. The retroactive choice on October 16, 1925, for the 1924 season was Notre Dame. "Illini Fourth in Dickinson's National Rank", The Urbana (IL) Daily Courier, October 17, 1925, p.6 ("Prof. Frank G. Dickinson broadcast his 1924 national championship football ratings out of Chicago last night. He was invited to talk at the "WHT" radio station... Notre Dame, generally accepted as the national champion following its all-conquering season, proved to be the leading eleven in Dickinson's method.")

The system was originally designed to rank teams in the Big Nine (later the Big Ten) conference. Chicago clothing manufacturer Jack Rissman then persuaded Dickinson to rank the nation's teams under the system, and awarded the Rissman Trophy to the winning university.Herschel Nissenson Tales From College Football's Sidelines (Sports Publishing LLC, 2001), p93.

The Dickinson System was the first to gain widespread national public and media acceptance as a "major selector" according to the NCAA prior to the establishment of the Associated Press poll in 1936.

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Trophies

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Rissman Trophy The original Dickinson System prize was the Rissman Trophy, named after Chicago clothing manufacturer Jack F. Rissman, 'a trophy to go to the team which would be scientifically picked by the Dickensen sic system of rating (later replaced by the Associate Press poll)'.

The Rissman Trophy was permanently awarded to Notre Dame following their third Dickinson title in 1930.

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Rockne Trophy Following the retirement of the Rissman Trophy and the death of Knute Rockne in early 1931, the second Dickinson trophy was named the Knute Rockne Intercollegiate Memorial Trophy.

Minnesota retired the Rockne Trophy after winning their third Dickinson title in 1940.

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Methodology An explanation for the mathematical calculations was usually given as part of the story of the season ending rankings. In 1927, an Associated Press story " Rating Gives Illini Title— National Championship Trophy Presented to Big Ten Winners at Alumni Football Dinner", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 4, 1927, p.38 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, and ties are considered as games half won and half lost 22.5. Dividing this total by the number of games played gives the final rating.""ILLINOIS BEST FOOTBALL TEAM OF YEAR," The Syracuse Herald, Dec. 4, 1927, p23 Professor Dickinson later added another variable, a "sectional rating" which provided for different points in games where the teams were from different sections of the country."Dickinson Discovers Gophers Are Nation's Best Football Eleven," Vidette Times (Valparaiso,IN), Dec. 3, 1940, p6

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Annual rankings

(Dickinson made his ratings before Santa Clara played TCU, noting that Santa Clara would drop out of the top 11 if it lost to TCU, with Duquesne climbing into the No. 11 spot.)

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