Where Florida Gators ranks according to Best in College Sport

The University of Florida's athletic department did not have a banner year in 2021. According to the Best in College Sports rankings released Monday, the program is currently 36th in the nation with 275.50 points.

The points system favors the most popular college sports, such as football, basketball, and women's basketball. It also takes into account the school's success in other spectator sports. Each school's ranking is based on these three sports and the wild cards included in the calculation. The heavyweight the football and men's basketball programs carry is evidenced by the points they receive.

In 2013, CBS Sports introduced its Best in College Sports award, which recognizes programs consistently rated in three different sports. The award is based on a combination of factors, including the strength of a program's overall performance and its broad interest in its sports.

The award is based on a formula that heavily emphasizes football and highlights programs that have consistently been ranked in the top 25 of the Associated Press polls. A team that does not finish in the top 25 in football but plays in a bowl game receives 62.5 points. On the other hand, a team that opts out of a postseason game and has its contests canceled receives 62.5 points.

The teams that make the NCAA's men's basketball tournament are given 20 points, while WNIT participants receive 10. The totals for all championships are based on the number of people participating in each event. J. Darin Darst, a CBS Sports producer, created a formula that gives all the national champions 100 points.

The top five schools in the Best in College Sports rankings are Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, and Arkansas. Florida, a member of the SEC, is ranked 10th in the country and is second among in-state programs. Other notable schools that did not make the final Top 25 include UCF and Miami.

It is not exactly clear which of the school's various sports will be its wildcard, but it's widely believed that gymnastics will be its first choice. The 90 points the program could receive from the Best in College Sports ranking is in line with the football team's second-place finish in the NCAA Tournament.

High hopes in coach Napier for Gators

The Gators' athletic department said they hoped the success of first-year head coach Billy Napier would help boost its football and men's basketball programs.

Napier, born in Tennessee and raised in Georgia, is following in the footsteps of Dan Mullen, who won 21 games during his first two seasons as a head coach before losing his job last fall. Before becoming a head coach, he spent three seasons at Louisiana, leading the team to a 33-5 record. He has added several new assistants, including quality control specialists and analytics experts.

According to Napier, the athletic department is now 20 percent bigger thanks to his and his staff's changes. He said the school had a great product and tradition that would continue attracting top athletes. He also said that the team's passionate supporters were committed to improving the program.