The American Football Coaches Association announced today that the final regular season ballots of each voter in the AFCA/USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll will remain public.

Last January, the AFCA Board of Trustees asked the Gallup World Poll to conduct an independent study of the Coaches’ Poll and make recommendations as to how the poll could be improved. In May, Gallup presented the AFCA Board with four recommendations, including a discontinuation of the four-year old policy of releasing the final regular season ballots of each voter.  The implementation of that recommendation was delayed by the AFCA Board. 

Historically, the AFCA has requested head coaches in the each AFCA division make final decisions on issues that directly affect their respective divisions. In a recently concluded survey, the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches, for the second time in four years, voted in favor of releasing the final regular season ballot of each voter in the Coaches’ Poll.

“The AFCA agreed to be a part of the BCS selection process when we were asked by the commissioners in 1998,” Executive Director Grant Teaff said. “As with past decisions by the AFCA and the FBS head coaches, we are again acting in what the coaches believe to be the best interest of the game.”

Florida coach Urban Meyer has voted in the past, but does not have a vote this season.