More seats at the polls in 2009

In the run-up to this season, the Wimple noted that the non-cartel teams were, on average, appearing in the polls more often than they had in the past. That trend continued in 2009. Using only the AP poll for the data set, an average week of the 2009 season had 20.5 ranked cartel teams, and 4.5 ranked non-cartel teams- a slight increase over the then-record breaking '08 season.

2009-- 72, 4.500
2008-- 73, 4.294
2007-- 30, 1.875
2006-- 28, 1.750
2005-- 37 (23 without Louisville, a tweeny in '05), 2.313 (1.438)
2004-- 57, 3.563
2003-- 48, 2.824
2002-- 33, 1.833
2001-- 44, 2.588
2000-- 37, 2.176
1999-- 47, 2.765
1998-- 22, 1.375
1997-- 29, 1.611
1996-- 41, 2.278
1995-- 5, 0.294
1994-- 33, 1.941
1993-- 21, 1.235
1992-- 10, 0.588