Amanda Knapp
The AP Top 25 is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA teams in Division I men's and women's basketball. The rankings are determined by a poll of 62 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation, each of whom provides their own ranking of the top 25 teams. The individual rankings are then combined to produce the national ranking, with a team receiving 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 for a second-place vote, and so on down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote. The AP Top 25 provides a tool to compare schools and spark debate, and generally, all top 25 teams are invited to the NCAA basketball tournament, also known as March Madness.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of sportswriters and broadcasters polled | 62 |
| Points for a first-place vote | 25 |
| Points for a second-place vote | 24 |
| Points for a twenty-fifth-place vote | 1 |
| Day of the week the poll is usually released | Monday |
| Day of the week the football poll is released | Sunday |
| Time the football poll is released | 2 pm Eastern time |
| Time the football poll is released during the season | Unless ranked teams have not finished their games |
| Date of the final Top 25 poll for women's basketball | April 8, 2024 |
| Date of the final Top 25 poll for men's basketball | April 9, 2024 |
| Teams that received votes but were not ranked | Memphis, Drake, Illinois, UConn, Oregon, Missouri, UCLA, Marquette, New Mexico, UC San Diego, Kansas, Baylor, McNeese |
| Teams that dropped from the rankings | Memphis, Missouri, Marquette |
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What You'll Learn
The history of the AP poll
The AP Poll, or the Associated Press poll, has been ranking the top college football teams in the US since 1936. It was the brainchild of former sports editor Alan J. Gould, who, in 1935, declared a three-way tie for the national championship in football between Minnesota, Princeton, and Southern Methodist.
The AP Poll has since expanded to cover Division I men's and women's college basketball, providing weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams. The basketball poll began during the 1976-1977 season and was initially compiled by Mel Greenberg and published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. It was a top 20 poll until 1990, when it was expanded to include 25 teams.
The AP Poll is compiled by polling sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation, with each voter providing their own ranking of the top teams. The individual rankings are then combined to produce the national ranking, with a first-place vote receiving 25 points, a second-place vote receiving 24 points, and so on down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote.
The AP Poll has had its share of controversies over the years, including in 2004 when Auburn and Utah, who both finished the regular season undefeated, were left out of the BCS title game in favour of Oklahoma, who also had a perfect record. The AP Poll has also been criticised for its lack of transparency in the voting process, with some calling for the organisation to release the names of the voters and their rankings.
Despite the controversies, the AP Poll remains a popular and influential ranking system in college sports, with its rankings sparking debates and comparisons between schools.
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How the AP poll is conducted
The AP Poll, or the Associated Press poll, is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA teams in Division I sports, including men's and women's basketball. The poll is conducted by the Associated Press, a news agency, and is based on the opinions of sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation.
Each of the 62 voters in the AP Poll provides their own ranking of the top 25 teams. The individual rankings are then combined to produce a national ranking by assigning a weight to each team's position in a given ballot. A team is given 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 points for a second-place vote, and so on, down to 1 point for a twenty-fifth-place vote.
The AP Poll for basketball was first introduced during the 1948–1949 men's basketball season, ranking the top 20 college men's basketball teams. The women's basketball poll was introduced later, during the 1976–1977 season, and was initially a top 20 poll of coaches conducted by Mel Greenberg and published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The AP took over administration of the women's poll in 1994, switching to a panel of writers, and expanded both polls to the top 25 teams beginning with the 1989-1990 season.
The AP Poll is released every Monday during the season, with the exception of the final poll, which is released following the end of the NCAA Tournament. The rankings are distributed to AP customers and featured on AP News and social media. While the AP Poll does not impact postseason play, it is used as a tool to compare schools and spark debate.
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The AP poll's influence on postseason play
The AP Poll, which has been running continuously since 1936, is the oldest tradition in college football. It is the document of record for the season, even though the CFP committee now determines who plays for the national title. The AP Poll is also used in men's and women's basketball, where it has been used to rank the top 20 teams since the 1948-1949 season. The poll expanded to 25 teams in 1990.
The AP Poll is compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation. Each voter ranks their top 25 teams, and the individual rankings are then combined to produce the national ranking. The AP Poll is largely just a tool to compare schools throughout the season and spark debate, as it has no bearing on postseason play. Generally, all top 25 teams in the poll are invited to the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournament, also known as March Madness.
In 2024, the AP added an end-of-season Top 25 poll for men's and women's basketball following the NCAA Tournament. The final rankings are distributed to AP customers and featured on AP News and social media.
While the AP Poll has no official influence on postseason play, it is still highly regarded by fans and programs, who care about where their teams finish. The AP Poll is also adjusted to the CFP rankings, rather than the other way around.
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The AP poll's impact on team rankings
In American college sports, the AP Poll (Associated Press poll) ranks the top 25 NCAA teams in Division I sports, including men's and women's basketball. The rankings are based on the votes of 62 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation. Each voter ranks their top 25 teams, and the individual rankings are combined to produce the national ranking, with a team receiving 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 for a second-place vote, and so on.
The AP Poll provides weekly rankings, released on Sundays at 2 pm Eastern Time during the season, except when ranked teams have unfinished games. While the AP Poll is just a tool for comparison and has no bearing on postseason play, it does spark debate and generally, all top 25 teams are invited to the NCAA basketball tournament or March Madness. The AP Poll has been influential in shaping public and media perceptions of the best college teams, especially in sports like football, where there is no NCAA-organised tournament or championship game.
The AP Poll has a long history, with its origins in the 1930s when the news media first started running their own polls of sportswriters to determine popular opinion on the top college football teams. From 1936 to 1988, the AP Poll ranked only 20 teams, except for a brief period from 1961 to 1967 when only ten teams were recognised. The expansion to the current 25 teams happened in 1989, and the AP began conducting preseason polls in 1950.
The AP Poll has also faced some controversies, such as in 2004 when Auburn and Utah, who were both undefeated in the regular season, were left out of the BCS title game in favour of Oklahoma. This led to the AP demanding that its poll no longer be used in the BCS rankings, and the 2004-2005 season was the last time it was used for this purpose. The AP Poll is not the only ranking system, and there have been instances of "split" national titles, where different polls disagree on the No. 1 team.
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The role of sportswriters in the AP poll
In American college sports, the Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I sports: football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation. Each voter ranks their top 25 teams, and the individual rankings are then combined to produce the national ranking by giving a team 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 for a second-place vote, and so on down to 1 point for a twenty-fifth-place vote.
The AP poll's origins date back to the 1930s when the news media began running their own polls of sports writers to determine the best college football teams in the country. One of the earliest such polls was conducted by the AP in November 1934. In 1935, AP sports editor Alan J. Gould declared a three-way tie for the national football championship between Minnesota, Princeton, and Southern Methodist. However, Minnesota fans protested, and the following year, the weekly AP college football poll was born, running continuously from 1936.
The AP college basketball poll began during the 1948-1949 season, ranking the top 20 men's college basketball teams. The poll expanded to 25 teams beginning with the 1989-1990 season. The women's basketball poll began during the 1976-1977 season and was initially a top 20 poll conducted by coaches. The AP took over administration of the women's poll in 1994, switching to a panel of writers and expanding to 25 teams.
While the AP poll is a popular tool for comparing schools and sparking debate, it has no bearing on postseason play. The rankings are based solely on the opinions of the sportswriters and broadcasters who participate in the poll. The AP poll has faced controversy in the past, and its role and importance have evolved over time. However, it remains a staple of college sports, offering a transparent ranking system that is based on performance.
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Frequently asked questions
The AP Top 25 is a poll that ranks the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I sports: football, men's basketball, and women's basketball.
Each sportswriter provides their own ranking of the top 25 teams. The teams are given points based on their ranking—25 points for first place, 24 points for second place, and so on. These points are then combined to produce the final ranking.
The AP Top 25 polls are usually released every Monday during the season. The football poll is released on Sundays at 2 pm Eastern Time. The final polls for the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments are released after the championship games.
The AP college football poll began in the 1930s when the news media ran their own polls of sportswriters to determine the best college football teams. The AP Poll expanded to include men's basketball in 1948 and women's basketball in 1976.
No, the AP Poll is just a tool to compare schools and spark debate. However, generally, all top 25 teams are invited to the NCAA basketball tournament, also known as March Madness.
