OREANDA-NEWS.   Weekly Index, Created with Sports Information Leader STATS, Expands to Include "Quality of Opponent" Measurement To Rank Most Efficient Overall Teams in College Football

 Global logistics leader UPS and STATS LLC, the world's leading sports technology, data and content company, announced new data enhancements to be included in this season’s UPS Team Performance Index (TPI) for college football -- a data index that comprehensively measures overall efficiency on offense, defense and special teams for all 125 NCAA® Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams.

UPS is the Official Logistics Partner of the NCAA®.

The UPS Team Performance Index, first introduced last season, is the first overall statistical algorithm that together ranks college football teams across all three statistical categories -- offense, defense and special teams. The UPS Team Performance Index includes 14 key statistical components with a proven correlation to a team’s overall success, which are then combined in a manner that rewards teams for performing efficiently and effectively in all categories to create the Index and rank them from highest to lowest.

Alabama (13-1), which won the BCS national championship last season, also topped the final UPS Team Performance Index of the season last year with a TPI rating of 130.1, beating out Oregon (125.46) and Kansas State (125.14).

This season, the TPI will also introduce a new data measurement component that incorporates the quality of each team’s opponent based on their TPI.

"The key elements that often determine success on the field—smart planning, great preparation and precise execution—are the same as they are in business logistics," said Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, global sponsorship and brand. "UPS is excited to continue to work with STATS on the Team Performance Index for college football once again this season, and to help show fans and consumers the real, tangible impact that logistics can play in determining success."

"The team at STATS is excited to be back with UPS for year two of the Team Performance Index," said STATS Senior Vice President Greg Kirkorsky. "The new quality of opponent measure will only strengthen the Index going forward as we identify well-balanced teams that do multiple things well, just as UPS does in logistics."

The statistical components of the UPS Team Performance Index are as follows:
Offense (Yards/play)
Defense (Yards Allowed/Play)
Special Teams (combination of 6 categories - punt returns, opponent punt returns, kickoff returns, opponent kickoff returns, punting, field goal percentage)
Miscues (combination of 4 categories - penalty yards, opponent penalty yards, turnovers, opponent turnovers)
Quality of Opponent (based on each opponent’s TPI rating)

For each of the five components, an Index value is created using a proprietary algorithm, with 100 being average. For all categories, anything above 100 is better than average and anything below 100 is below average. The maximum component index is capped at 200 in any category. These components, and the team’s win-loss performance, then are combined to reward a team that excels in all facets of the game.

The UPS Team Performance Index will be updated each week, beginning Monday, Sept. 16, and then each week thereafter throughout the regular college football season.