COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech football team ranked as
the third-most improved program in the Football Championship
Subdivision (FCS) in 2009, and the 46th most improved in the nation
among all divisions, according to SomisSports.com, a sports website
that did the research.
The Golden Eagles finished the year with a 6-5 overall record
including a perfect 5-0 mark at home in Tucker Stadium. Tech was
3-0 against the three Ohio Valley Conference schools in the state
of Tennessee to capture the annual Sgt. York Trophy.
SomisSports.com calculated each team's improvement by comparing its final 2009 rating to an adjusted 2008 rating. A team's improvement takes into account factors such as points scored and points allowed.
Chattanooga ranked as the most imrpoved FCS team with Stephen F.
Austin second and the Golden Eagles third. William & Mary was
fourth and Texas Southern rounded out the top five. One other OVC
school was listed in the top 15, with Eastern Illinois listed
12th.
Washington was thet op-ranked FBS program, while Arkansas -- the
team Tech opens the 2010 season against -- was fourth among FBS
programs and 42nd overall.
| College Football | ||||
| NCAA FCS (Division 1AA) - most improved teams | ||||
| 2009 Season | ||||
| Improvement in : | ||||
| Rank | Team | Rating | Wins | Conference |
| 1 | Chattanooga | 21.75 | 5 | Southern |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin | 14.34 | 6 | Southland |
| 3 | Tennessee Tech | 13.52 | 3 | Ohio Valley |
| 4 | William & Mary | 12.74 | 4 | Colonial |
| 5 | Texas Southern | 12.06 | 2 | Southwestern Athletic |
| 6 | Illinois State | 12.03 | 3 | Missouri Valley |
| 7 | Butler | 11.50 | 5 | Pioneer |
| 8 | Villanova | 10.57 | 4 | Colonial |
| 9 | Penn | 10.22 | 2 | Ivy League |
| 10 | Youngstown State | 10.00 | 2 | Missouri Valley |
| 11 | Delaware | 9.95 | 2 | Colonial |
| 12 | Eastern Illinois | 9.38 | 3 | Ohio Valley |
| 13 | Elon | 9.22 | 1 | Southern |
| 14 | Southern Illinois | 9.16 | 2 | Missouri Valley |
| 15 | Missouri State | 8.96 | 2 | Missouri Valley |
| College Football | |||||
| All Teams | |||||
| 2009 Season | |||||
| Improvement in : | |||||
| Rank | Team | Rating | Wins | Division | Conference |
| 1 | Wittenberg | 29.43 | 6 | D3 | North Coast |
| 2 | McPherson | 25.64 | 5 | NAIA | Kansas Collegiate |
| 3 | Northern Michigan | 24.79 | 4 | D2 | GLIAC |
| 4 | Coe | 24.74 | 6 | D3 | Iowa Intercollegiate |
| 5 | Walsh | 24.14 | 5 | NAIA | Mid-States - Mideast |
| 6 | Findlay | 23.75 | 5 | D2 | GLIAC |
| 7 | Northwood (MI) | 23.51 | 5 | D2 | GLIAC |
| 8 | Grand View | 23.36 | 6 | NAIA | Mid-States - Midwest |
| 9 | Central | 22.72 | 4 | D3 | Iowa Intercollegiate |
| 10 | St. Xavier | 22.13 | 6 | NAIA | Mid-States - Mideast |
| 11 | Chattanooga | 21.75 | 5 | 1 - FCS | Southern |
| 12 | Washington | 20.24 | 5 | 1 - FBS | Pacific Ten |
| 13 | Linfield | 19.65 | 6 | D3 | Northwest |
| 14 | Concord (WV) | 19.12 | 6 | D2 | West Virginia |
| 15 | Shippensburg | 18.87 | 5 | D2 | Pennsylvania State |
| 16 | Clarion | 18.53 | 5 | D2 | Pennsylvania State |
| 17 | Lambuth | 18.09 | 4 | NAIA | Mid-South |
| 18 | Bemidji State | 18.05 | 3 | D2 | Northern Sun |
| 19 | Hillsdale | 17.83 | 3 | D2 | GLIAC |
| 20 | Campbellsville | 17.81 | 4 | NAIA | Mid-South |
| 21 | Springfield | 17.47 | 4 | D3 | Empire 8 |
| 22 | Illinois Wesleyan | 17.24 | 4 | D3 | Illinois and Wisconsin |
| 23 | Ohio Northern | 16.70 | 3 | D3 | Ohio Athletic |
| 24 | Belhaven | 16.65 | 4 | NAIA | Mid-South |
| 25 | Taylor | 16.61 | 5 | NAIA | Mid-States - Mideast |
| 26 | Ursinus | 16.43 | 3 | D3 | Centennial |
| 27 | Greensboro | 16.40 | 4 | D3 | USA South |
| 28 | Concordia (IL) | 15.61 | 5 | D3 | Northern Athletics |
| 29 | Franklin & Marshall | 15.42 | 5 | D3 | Centennial |
| 30 | Idaho | 14.88 | 6 | 1 - FBS | Western Athletic |
| 31 | Johns Hopkins | 14.81 | 2 | D3 | Centennial |
| 32 | Nebraska - Kearney | 14.74 | 4 | D2 | Rocky Mountain |
| 33 | Fort Hays | 14.66 | 4 | D2 | MIAA |
| 34 | Ottawa | 14.65 | 3 | NAIA | Kansas Collegiate |
| 35 | McKendree | 14.60 | 3 | NAIA | Mid-States - Midwest |
| 36 | Stephen F. Austin | 14.34 | 6 | 1 - FCS | Southland |
| 37 | UW - Stout | 14.25 | 3 | D3 | Wisconsin |
| 38 | Southern Methodist | 14.23 | 7 | 1 - FBS | Conference USA |
| 39 | Millikin | 14.13 | 3 | D3 | Illinois and Wisconsin |
| 40 | Brevard | 14.06 | 6 | D2 | South Atlantic |
| 41 | Thomas More | 13.98 | 3 | D3 | Presidents' |
| 42 | Arkansas | 13.94 | 3 | 1 - FBS | Southeastern |
| 43 | Arkansas Tech | 13.91 | 4 | D2 | Gulf South |
| 44 | Allegheny | 13.86 | 3 | D3 | North Coast |
| 45 | Delaware Valley | 13.86 | 2 | D3 | Middle Atlantic |
| 46 | Tennessee Tech | 13.52 | 3 | 1 - FCS | Ohio Valley |
| 47 | Albright | 13.39 | 3 | D3 | Middle Atlantic |
| 48 | West Alabama | 13.35 | 4 | D2 | Gulf South |
| 49 | Carthage | 13.22 | 2 | D3 | Illinois and Wisconsin |
| 50 | Mississippi State | 12.93 | 1 | 1 - FBS | Southeastern |
