Here are my conference rankings for 79 college football conferences over the past six season. The rankings are based on each team's average final ranking among the 750 member schools.  Div    Conference    Members Average Final Ranking P4    Southeastern    25.6 P4    Big 10    31.9 P4    Independent    35.7 P4    Big 12    40.6 P4    Atlantic Coast    54.8 G5    Mountain West    97.5 G5    American Athletic    101.6 G5    Sun Belt    101.7 G5    Independent    121.0 G5    Mid-American    122.5 FCS    Missouri Valley    133.2 G5    Conference USA    134.7 FCS    Big Sky    156.2 FCS    United Athletic    182.2 FCS    Ivy League    186.4 FCS    Southern    188.2 FCS    Coastal Athletic    202.2 FCS    BS-OVC    213.1 FCS    Southland    217.9 D2    Mid-America Intercoll.    224.9 D2    Gulf South    227.0 FCS    Patriot League    232.6 FCS    Mid-Eastern Athletic    269.5 FCS    Southwestern Athletic    273.7 FCS    Independent    276.0 D2    Great Lakes Intercoll.    298.3 FCS    Northeast    308.9 FCS    Pioneer    331.1 D2    Great American     338.8 D2    South Atlantic    348.2 D2    Lone Star    357.5 D2    Pennsylvania State    367.3 D2    Great Midwest Athl.    375.1 D2    Rocky Mountain    380.5 D3    Wisconsin Intercoll.    388.4 D2    Northern Sun Intercoll.    397.4 D2    Independent    398.0 D2    Great Lakes Valley    399.7 NAIA    Mid-South    430.3 D3    American Southwest    430.5 D2    Central Intercollegiate    442.6 D2    Southern Intercoll.    443.8 D2    Mountain East    456.2 D2    Northeast-10    458.5 D2    Conference Carolinas    458.6 D3    Centennial    482.8 NAIA    Frontier     494.2 NAIA    Great Plains Athl.    497.7 D3    Conf. of Ill. and Wisc.    508.6 NAIA    Sun Conference    510.8 D3    Ohio Athletic    523.3 NAIA    Heart of America    532.1 NAIA    Mid-States    541.5 D3    Minnesota Intercoll.    549.2 D3    Michigan Intercollegiate    561.5 D3    Southern Athletic    562.5 D3    Liberty League    563.5 D3    American Rivers    567.2 NAIA    Kansas Coll. Athl.    569.8 D3    Empire Eight    572.1 D3    North Coast Athletic    572.4 D3    Northwest    575.1 D3    New Jersey Athl.    576.6 D3    So. California Intercoll.    581.5 NAIA    Appalachian    589.1 D3    Old Dominion Athl.    592.9 D3    The Presidents' Athl.    594.7 D3    Landmark    596.0 NAIA    Sooner Athletic    601.0 D3    Middle Atlantic    610.2 D3    New England    618.9 D3    Heartland Coll. Athletic    642.1 D3    Southern Collegiate    653.0 D3    USA South    657.1 D3    Conf. of New England    658.1 D3    Northern Athletics    667.8 D3    Midwest    684.9 D3    Massachusetts SCA    717.9 D3    Upper Midwest Athl.    740.0  

not so fast my friend!   The Breakdown: Florida SB 538 (2026) & The Future of Coach Pay Florida is finally moving to stop the "brain drain" of elite coaches to Georgia and Alabama. Here is exactly what is on the table for the 2026 season.   1. What the Bill Actually Does The bill SB 538 (and House companion HB 731) changes the game for athletic compensation in three ways: Decouples Coaches from Unions: Coaches will no longer be tied to teacher union collective bargaining for their athletic stipends. They can negotiate individual contracts directly with school boards. Performance Bonuses: For the first time, contracts can include incentive-based pay for hitting milestones like playoff appearances or state titles. Eligibility & Appeals: It streamlines the process for student eligibility, ensuring decisions are made within 20 days so athletes aren't sitting out while paperwork is stuck in limbo.   2. The Booster Club "Booster": More Power, With a Catch Currently, if a booster club wants to pay a coach extra under the table, it’s a major violation. This bill brings that money into the light. The Enhanced Role: School boards are authorized to accept booster donations specifically to fund coaching salaries. This allows "football-crazy" towns to raise the funds needed to hire a top-tier HC without using taxpayer dollars. The Check & Balance: To prevent boosters from "owning" the coach, the law mandates that boosters cannot control the provision of funds. The money must go to the School Board first, which then pays the coach. The board remains the only entity that can hire, fire, or evaluate the coach—not the booster president.   3. The "No Cap" System & Key Supporters The "No Cap" model is the most talked-about feature for big-time programs. How it Works: There is no state-mandated maximum for what a coach can earn. Under this system, a coach’s pay is limited only by what the School Board approves and what the community can raise. If a school and its boosters want to pay $100k+ to match Georgia salaries, this bill provides the legal framework to do it. Who is Backing This: Florida Coaches Coalition (FCC): The primary driver behind the bill, representing over 16,000 coaches. FHSAA: Generally supportive of measures that improve athletic standards and coach retention. State Legislators: Led by Senator Cory Simon (a former FSU and NFL star), who argues that coaches are effectively "mentors" and "CEOs" of large programs who deserve professional-grade pay. The Bottom Line: If this passes, the days of the $4,500 head coaching stipend are over. Florida programs will finally have the tools to keep their best coaches at home.

Hearing Dillard might play a national top 150 team from Jersey you might want to get in the coaches ear about that one. In the national rankings, Dillard wasn’t even top 1,500. Not sure they finished top 100 in Florida.    This would be a blowout and waste of time and money 

You can still school choice all you want but sports has a different set of rules to avoid "transfer for athletics" which is not what school choice is about, which is academics/environment. Cap proposal is a hard 5.  If you are already at the cap then some tough choices will have to be made.  Everyone will agree to these rules because transfers generally only positively impact a handful of teams each year while hurting the overwhelming majority.  The cap limit can be adjusted based upon actual data rather than an arbitrary "fair number" that popped into my head.  Remember, this rule is the save the FHSAA because too many schools are punching out.

I would encourage people to look at SB538 and how it applies to coaches' salaries. It does not set a minimum salary (as the Coaches' Coalition has repeatedly advocated); it simply takes the power to negotiate stipends away from the unions and gives it unilaterally to school boards. School boards MAY (not required to) set coaching stipends at whatever they want while negotiating with the coach, without regard to the union contract.  If (and when) this passes, it will not solve the problem systematically. While doing this, school boards will also be able to completely eliminate all other stipends, because, god forbid, the cross-country coach gets paid. (k) Athletic coach compensation.—The district school board may, at its sole discretion, determine and approve the compensation of any person employed as an athletic coach, assistant coach, or athletic program supervisor, regardless of whether such individual is classified as instructional personnel. Compensation may exceed any salary schedule, supplement, or stipend otherwise prescribed and may be paid in any form or amount deemed appropriate by the district school board, including, but not limited to, salaries, stipends, bonuses, performance-based incentives, and hourly or per601 assignment pay. Such compensation is considered part of the coach’s total compensation. The limitations on supplemental pay applicable to instructional personnel under this section or any other law do not apply to compensation provided under this paragraph.