NCAA Power Index
The NCAA Power Index, or NPI, is a ranking system used in Division II and Division III to evaluate team performance. NPI considers game results and the strength of opponents to calculate a team’s NPI value and ranking.
NPI calculations update throughout the season as teams play additional contests and opponent NPI values change. A team’s final NPI is not determined until the final games and rankings of the season are complete.
What the NCAA Power Index Measures
NPI evaluates a team’s season by considering both results and the strength of the teams it plays. Each contest produces a value based on whether the team won, lost or tied and the opponent’s NPI.
A team’s NPI can change throughout the season as:
- The team plays additional contests
- Opponents’ NPI values change
- Strength of schedule changes
- Games are added to or removed from the team’s adjusted record
How NPI is Calculated
NPI evaluates each team based on its results and the strength of the opponents it plays. Each contest is assigned a value based on the result of the game and the opponent’s NPI.
Sport committees establish settings, referred to as dials, that determine how certain factors are applied within the NPI calculation. These settings include the weighting between winning percentage and strength of schedule and the minimum number of wins a team must retain in its calculation.
Three concepts are important to understanding how NPI works:
A team’s winning percentage is calculated using its adjusted win/loss record, which may be different from its overall record.
For example, a team may have an overall record of 14-6 but an adjusted record of 10-6 for NPI purposes. In that example, the team’s winning percentage used in the NPI calculation would be .625. The system then converts to a percentage which becomes 62.500.
Strength of schedule reflects the total NPI values of the opponents included in a team’s adjusted record divided by total games.
For example, if you have played three games and your opponent’s NPIs are 72.345, 70.560 and 62.915, that would total 205.82. That number divided by three total games would be the team’s SOS at 68.607.
Each game receives a value based on the result of the contest and the opponent’s NPI. The weighting assigned to winning percentage and strength of schedule determines how much each factor contributes to that value.
These individual game values are then used to calculate the team’s NPI.
Each game produces a Net NPI value based on the result of the contest. Depending on the outcome, the game contributes a Win Value or Loss Value toward the team’s overall NPI. A team’s final NPI can be calculated using the team’s overall season totals or by averaging the Net NPI values from each game. Both methods produce the same final NPI.
See how individual game values are calculated and how those values can affect a team’s NPI throughout the season.
Calculating a Game’s NPI Value
The following example uses a 20/80 Win Percentage/Strength of Schedule dial, meaning winning percentage accounts for 20% of the calculation and strength of schedule accounts for 80%. The opponent in this example has an NPI of 63.255.
Winning percentage:
100 × .20 = 20
Strength of schedule:
63.255 × .80 = 50.604
Win value:
20 + 50.604 = 70.604
Winning percentage:
0 × .20 = 0
Strength of schedule:
63.255 × .80 = 50.604
Loss value:
0 + 50.604 = 50.604
Half win value:
70.604 ÷ 2 = 35.302
Half loss value:
50.604 ÷ 2 = 25.302
Tie value:
35.302 + 25.302 = 60.604
How NPI Changes During a Season
NPI continues to recalculate as a team plays additional contests. The following example shows how the system uses individual game values to identify the combination of results that produces a team’s highest NPI.
This example begins with a team that has a 9-4 overall record and a retained wins requirement of six.
The system begins with the losses that must remain in the calculation. In this example, the team’s four losses produce a baseline NPI of 50.728.
The system adds the team’s highest-value win and recalculates its NPI. It continues adding wins from highest value to lowest value, recalculating after each result.
The team’s NPI reaches 58.089 after its eighth win is included. Adding the ninth win lowers the NPI to 57.999. Because the team has reached its retained wins requirement, that ninth win may be removed from the calculation.
The team’s overall record remains 9-4, while its adjusted NPI record becomes 8-4.
Understanding Your NPI Record
A team’s overall record may look different from the record used to calculate its NPI. Learn how adjusted records, retained wins and individual game results can affect a team’s NPI throughout the season.
- NPI = the overall value assigned to a team and used for rankings, selections and, in some cases, seeding.
- Net NPI = the value assigned to an individual game result. Depending on the outcome, each game contributes a Win Value or Loss Value toward the team’s overall NPI.
How NPI is Used for NCAA Championships
The primary purpose of NPI is to compare teams within Division II or Division III for ranking and NCAA championship selection. Once automatic qualifiers are determined, remaining teams are considered for at-large selection based on NPI ranking until the championship field is filled.
NPI may also play a role in championship seeding. Seeding and bracketing procedures vary by division and sport.
For example, if a championship field includes 64 teams and 42 earn automatic qualification, the 22 highest-ranked teams in NPI that did not automatically qualify would fill the remaining spots
For Division II, at-large selections also account for regional allocation.
NPI Championship Resources
Explore additional NCAA Power Index resources, including general NPI guidance and Division II and Division III sport-specific information.
Division II Championship Resources
Division II Baseball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Men’s Basketball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Women’s Basketball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Field Hockey: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Football: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Men’s Lacrosse: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Women’s Lacrosse: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Softball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Men’s Soccer: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Women’s Soccer: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Men’s & Women’s Tennis: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division II Women’s Volleyball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar | NPI Presentation
Division III Championship Resources
Division III Baseball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Men’s Basketball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Women’s Basketball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Field Hockey: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Men’s Ice Hockey: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Women’s Ice Hockey: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Men’s Lacrosse: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Women’s Lacrosse: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Football: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Men’s Soccer: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Women’s Soccer: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Softball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Men’s Volleyball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar
Division III Women’s Volleyball: NPI Report | NPI Webinar