Algorithm Details

Ranking Methodology

How the algorithm calculates team rankings

Game-by-Game

Every game matters, evaluated individually

Strength of Schedule

Opponent quality impacts every result

Dynamic Updates

Conference strength evolves weekly

Overview

Our ranking system evaluates teams based on their game-by-game performance, considering:

W
Win/Loss Results
Wins earn positive points, losses earn negative
S
Opponent Strength
Beating good teams is worth more
L
Game Location
Road wins rewarded, home losses penalized
M
Margin of Victory
Decisive wins earn tiered bonus (max +4.0)
Q
Quality Wins
Wins vs ranked opponents earn bonus
C
Conference Strength
Dynamic modifier from cross-conference results

Base Points

Win +10 points
Loss -8 points

These base values are then modified by the factors below.

Location Modifiers

Away Win x1.40
Home Loss x1.40
Neutral Win x1.15
Home Win x0.85
Away Loss x0.70
Neutral Loss x0.85

Road wins are harder and worth more. Home losses are more damaging.

Opponent Strength

Games against stronger opponents are worth more:

opponent_modifier = 0.5 + (opponent_strength * 0.7)

Where opponent_strength ranges from 0.0 (worst) to 1.0 (best).

Margin of Victory

Tiered bonus system with max bonus of 4.0 points:

1+ pts
+0.3
5+ pts
+0.8
10+ pts
+1.5
15+ pts
+2.5
20+ pts
+3.5
25+ pts
+4.0

Capped at 4.0 points to prevent rewarding excessive blowouts.

Quality Win Bonuses

5 Win vs Top 5 +4.0 pts
10 Win vs Top 10 +2.5 pts
25 Win vs Top 25 +1.5 pts
50 Win vs Top 50 +0.75 pts

Based on opponent's rank at the time of the game, not final rankings.

Conference Strength

Each conference has a base strength modifier that evolves weekly based on cross-conference game results:

1.15
Big East
1.12
SEC
1.08
Big Ten
1.05
Big 12
1.02
ACC
0.90-1.0
Mid-Majors

These modifiers adjust throughout the season. Check the Conferences page to see how they've changed.

Tiebreakers

When teams have identical point totals, the following tiebreakers are applied in order:

1
Head-to-Head Result
If the two teams played each other, the winner is ranked higher. Only considers games between the two tied teams.
2
Common Opponents
Compare records against opponents both teams have played. The team with more wins against common opponents is ranked higher.

Example:

Team A beat Villanova and lost to UConn. Team B lost to Villanova and lost to UConn. Team A is 1-1 vs common opponents while Team B is 0-2, so Team A wins the tiebreaker.

Both tiebreakers are enabled by default. You can toggle them in the Sandbox to see how they affect rankings.

Example Calculation

Duke beats #8 Kentucky 78-65 on the road

Base Win +10.0
Away Win (x1.40) = 14.0
Opponent Strength (0.85) x1.10 = 15.4
Margin Bonus (13 pts = 10+ tier) +1.5
Top 10 Win Bonus +2.5
Total +19.4

Final Adjustments

After all games are calculated, final rankings receive:

SOS
Strength of Schedule
Applied as a multiplier based on average opponent quality
Recency Weighting
Later games can be weighted slightly more
Conference Championship
Winners receive a small bonus