[terry]

The way the NCAA has chosen to recognize its records is a bit odd, with older players not getting credit for bowl games. With the added layer of conference championship and now playoff games, we should see all the major single-season records fall in the next few years.

For many years, bowl games were not included in college football statistics and record books.

The NCAA changed this policy in 2002 to include bowl games in the official statistics going forward. The NCAA's new policy was not retroactive. So, the NCAA did not go back and add bowl game totals to its pre-2002 statistics and records.

However, a number of conferences and schools decided to go back and add pre-2002 bowl game stats to their records. The Pac-12 and a number of its members were among those making retroactive changes. As a result, the NCAA record book differs from the record books of various schools and conferences. For example, the NCAA says Barry Sanders holds the single-season all-purpose yardage record with 3,250 yards in 1988. But that doesn't include Sanders' stats from the Holiday Bowl. Oklahoma State's record book says Sanders had 3,526 all-purpose yards that year.

I once asked someone in the NCAA's statistics office about these discrepancies. They said they would prefer to have conferences and schools follow the NCAA's approach, but cannot force them to do so.

For quite a while, Stanford followed the NCAA's approach and did not revise its pre-2002 records to include bowl games. I assume that decision was made by Gary Migdol, Stanford's SID in 2002. That policy continued under Migdol's successor, Jim Young. Stanford's records during this time were consistent with the NCAA's records, but differed from the Pac-12's records.

Stanford changed its policy in late 2012. Jim Young was gone and the SID position was vacant, with Alan George and Mike Eubanks covering the SID's football responsibilities. Alan, Mike, and Bernard Muir decided Stanford should add pre-2002 bowl game stats to its record book. (The immediate impetus for this change was Stepfan Taylor's pursuit of Darrin Nelson's career rushing record, which was 4,033 yards without bowl games but became 4,169 yards with bowls added.) The 2013 media guide was the first record book to include all of Stanford's revised statistics and records.

Now, Stanford's records are consistent with the Pac-12's records, as they include pre-2002 bowl game stats. But Stanford's records are not consistent with the NCAA's records. We just have to live with the inconsistency, I guess.

[terry]

The way the NCAA has chosen to recognize its records is a bit odd, with older players not getting credit for bowl games. With the added layer of conference championship and now playoff games, we should see all the major single-season records fall in the next few years.

For many years, bowl games were not included in college football statistics and record books.

The NCAA changed this policy in 2002 to include bowl games in the official statistics going forward. The NCAA's new policy was not retroactive. So, the NCAA did not go back and add bowl game totals to its pre-2002 statistics and records.

However, a number of conferences and schools decided to go back and add pre-2002 bowl game stats to their records. The Pac-12 and a number of its members were among those making retroactive changes. As a result, the NCAA record book differs from the record books of various schools and conferences. For example, the NCAA says Barry Sanders holds the single-season all-purpose yardage record with 3,250 yards in 1988. But that doesn't include Sanders' stats from the Holiday Bowl. Oklahoma State's record book says Sanders had 3,526 all-purpose yards that year.

I once asked someone in the NCAA's statistics office about these discrepancies. They said they would prefer to have conferences and schools follow the NCAA's approach, but cannot force them to do so.

For quite a while, Stanford followed the NCAA's approach and did not revise its pre-2002 records to include bowl games. I assume that decision was made by Gary Migdol, Stanford's SID in 2002. That policy continued under Migdol's successor, Jim Young. Stanford's records during this time were consistent with the NCAA's records, but differed from the Pac-12's records.

Stanford changed its policy in late 2012. Jim Young was gone and the SID position was vacant, with Alan George and Mike Eubanks covering the SID's football responsibilities. Alan, Mike, and Bernard Muir decided Stanford should add pre-2002 bowl game stats to its record book. (The immediate impetus for this change was Stepfan Taylor's pursuit of Darrin Nelson's career rushing record, which was 4,033 yards without bowl games but became 4,169 yards with bowls added.) The 2013 media guide was the first record book to include all of Stanford's revised statistics and records.

Now, Stanford's records are consistent with the Pac-12's records, as they include pre-2002 bowl game stats. But Stanford's records are not consistent with the NCAA's records. We just have to live with the inconsistency, I guess.