The mobile-optimized digital index combines social media and online fan voting, helping to quantify the support of each school?s fan base beyond the games. There is renewed focus on content sponsorship on mobile as a result of the growing availability of ad-blocking software.  

?Mobile is huge for Fan Index, so we built the site responsively to provide a great experience on smartphones, where fans are able to support their school, see the rankings and consume content just as easily as they would on any other device,? said Jamie Mottram, director of content development for USA Today Sports.

?It's also big from the point of view that social media activity powers one half of the Fan Index rankings, and so much of that activity happens on mobile devices,? he said. ?It's really about measuring and connecting with fans on the go.

 

?Fan Index taps into an extraordinarily passionate audience in a way that feeds off of and fuels behavior on social platforms and mobile devices. By partnering with USA TODAY Sports, Goodyear is along for the ride as this program cascades across the social and mobile web, especially with younger, millennial-minded college football fans.?

The weekly index will measure the social activity of fans in support of their favorite teams, including sharing photos and videos. 

The site, fanindex.usatoday.com, will also feature weekly editorial themes driven by fans and offering an opportunity to vote on which schools are best. Examples include the best tailgates, best traditions, best NF players produced, best stadium and more. 

The voting results combined with the social media measurement will both be used to rank the top college football fan bases.  

Ohio State came out on top for the first College Football Fan Index last season.

Throughout the season, fans will be encouraged to support their favorite schools and be as creative as possible with their social media posts using the hashtag #fanindex to achieve a high social ranking. 

The Fan Index is coordinating with 100 National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision schools and their social media offerings on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google + and more. 

The social activity will be tracked weekly, with weekly themes unveiled each Saturday. Voting will continue through each Wednesday before rankings are released online each Wednesday afternoon and in print on Thursday mornings.

The results will be tracked throughout the season, and then be added up into a final cumulative Fan Index at the end of the season.

?The big thing, aside from Fan Index being an inherently social and mobile property, is for the schools themselves to get involved and rally support from their fan bases and student bodies,? Mr. Mottram said. ?We saw a lot of that last year with the first-ever CFB Fan Index, and we expect to see more of it in Year 2.?