Today we released our annual preseason poll to determine team rankings for the upcoming season. For full transparency, we are including each contributor who submitted a top 36 below.
As a refresher, the methodology is as follows: Each contributor who wanted to participate submitted their top 36 teams for the 2026 season. Lists were submitted privately and no discussion was allowed beforehand to be able to produce as unbiased and as accurate a ranking as possible. We then assigned a numerical value to each place, with each editor’s first-place team earning 36 points, second place taking 35 points, and so on through No. 36. Each team’s points were then added up to determine the overall order.
The overall top 36 teams, point totals, and the amount of first-place votes where applicable, as well as additional teams that earned points but did not make the top 36, can be found here.
Elizabeth
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Ohio State | 25. Washington |
| 2. LSU | 14. Auburn | 26. Maryland |
| 3. Florida | 15. Stanford | 27. Penn State |
| 4. Utah | 16. Minnesota | 28. Arizona State |
| 5. UCLA | 17. Denver | 29. North Carolina |
| 6. Alabama | 18. Clemson | 30. Nebraska |
| 7. Michigan State | 19. California | 31. Boise State |
| 8. Arkansas | 20. N.C. State | 32. Illinois |
| 9. Michigan | 21. Southern Utah | 33. BYU |
| 10. Missouri | 22. Iowa | 34. West Virginia |
| 11. Kentucky | 23. Oregon State | 35. Towson |
| 12. Georgia | 24. Arizona | 36. Utah State |
Katherine
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Denver | 25. Arizona State |
| 2. LSU | 14. Auburn | 26. Clemson |
| 3. UCLA | 15. Michigan | 27. Iowa |
| 4. Utah | 16. Stanford | 28. North Carolina |
| 5. Florida | 17. Arizona | 29. BYU |
| 6. Michigan State | 18. Ohio State | 30. Washington |
| 7. Arkansas | 19. Nebraska | 31. Illinois |
| 8. Missouri | 20. California | 32. Boise State |
| 9. Alabama | 21. N.C. State | 33. Utah State |
| 10. Kentucky | 22. Oregon State | 34. Southern Utah |
| 11. Georgia | 23. Penn State | 35. Iowa State |
| 12. Minnesota | 24. Maryland | 36. Towson |
Rebecca S.
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Auburn | 25. Arizona |
| 2. LSU | 14. Kentucky | 26. Maryland |
| 3. Florida | 15. Clemson | 27. Oregon State |
| 4. Utah | 16. Minnesota | 28. Penn State |
| 5. UCLA | 17. Iowa | 29. BYU |
| 6. Alabama | 18. Michigan | 30. Illinois |
| 7. Arkansas | 19. California | 31. Arizona State |
| 8. Michigan State | 20. Denver | 32. Boise State |
| 9. Missouri | 21. North Carolina | 33. West Virginia |
| 10. Stanford | 22. N.C. State | 34. Nebraska |
| 11. Georgia | 23. Southern Utah | 35. Towson |
| 12. Ohio State | 24. Washington | 36. Rutgers |
Savanna
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. California | 25. Southern Utah |
| 2. UCLA | 14. Denver | 26. Clemson |
| 3. LSU | 15. Ohio State | 27. Maryland |
| 4. Utah | 16. Minnesota | 28. Penn State |
| 5. Alabama | 17. Oregon State | 29. Nebraska |
| 6. Michigan State | 18. Michigan | 30. BYU |
| 7. Florida | 19. Stanford | 31. Illinois |
| 8. Arkansas | 20. Iowa | 32. Washington |
| 9. Missouri | 21. Arizona | 33. Boise State |
| 10. Kentucky | 22. N.C. State | 34. Central Michigan |
| 11. Georgia | 23. Arizona State | 35. Utah State |
| 12. Auburn | 24. North Carolina | 36. West Virginia |
Julianna
| 1. UCLA | 13. Georgia | 25. Penn State |
| 2. LSU | 14. Stanford | 26. Nebraska |
| 3. Oklahoma | 15. Denver | 27. Iowa |
| 4. Florida | 16. Michigan | 28. Boise State |
| 5. Utah | 17. Minnesota | 29. BYU |
| 6. Missouri | 18. Oregon State | 30. Illinois |
| 7. Michigan State | 19. Arizona | 31. North Carolina |
| 8. Alabama | 20. Southern Utah | 32. Arizona State |
| 9. Arkansas | 21. Ohio State | 33. UC Davis |
| 10. Kentucky | 22. Clemson | 34. Utah State |
| 11. Auburn | 23. N.C. State | 35. West Virginia |
| 12. California | 24. Maryland | 36. Washington |
Penny
| 1. UCLA | 13. Minnesota | 25. Arizona State |
| 2. Oklahoma | 14. Arizona | 26. BYU |
| 3. LSU | 15. Georgia | 27. Nebraska |
| 4. Utah | 16. Michigan | 28. Illinois |
| 5. Florida | 17. Ohio State | 29. Oregon State |
| 6. Alabama | 18. North Carolina | 30. Maryland |
| 7. Kentucky | 19. Denver | 31. West Virginia |
| 8. Auburn | 20. N.C. State | 32. Washington |
| 9. Missouri | 21. Clemson | 33. Towson |
| 10. Arkansas | 22. Iowa | 34. UC Davis |
| 11. Stanford | 23. Penn State | 35. California |
| 12. Michigan State | 24. Southern Utah | 36. Central Michigan |
Frances
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Kentucky | 25. North Carolina |
| 2. Utah | 14. Michigan | 26. Penn State |
| 3. LSU | 15. Georgia | 27. Iowa |
| 4. Florida | 16. California | 28. Arizona State |
| 5. Michigan State | 17. Denver | 29. BYU |
| 6. UCLA | 18. Arizona | 30. Boise State |
| 7. Alabama | 19. Ohio State | 31. West Virginia |
| 8. Auburn | 20. Clemson | 32. Maryland |
| 9. Arkansas | 21. Oregon State | 33. Illinois |
| 10. Missouri | 22. Nebraska | 34. Washington |
| 11. Stanford | 23. N.C. State | 35. Rutgers |
| 12. Minnesota | 24. Southern Utah | 36. Towson |
Sophie
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Minnesota | 25. North Carolina |
| 2. LSU | 14. Stanford | 26. Southern Utah |
| 3. Florida | 15. Denver | 27. Nebraska |
| 4. Utah | 16. Michigan | 28. Penn State |
| 5. Michigan State | 17. Oregon State | 29. Arizona State |
| 6. Missouri | 18. Clemson | 30. Illinois |
| 7. UCLA | 19. California | 31. BYU |
| 8. Alabama | 20. Arizona | 32. Rutgers |
| 9. Kentucky | 21. Ohio State | 33. Boise State |
| 10. Arkansas | 22. N.C. State | 34. Utah State |
| 11. Auburn | 23. Iowa | 35. Washington |
| 12. Georgia | 24. Maryland | 36. Towson |
Alyssa
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Michigan | 25. Penn State |
| 2. LSU | 14. Minnesota | 26. Illinois |
| 3. Florida | 15. Arkansas | 27. North Carolina |
| 4. UCLA | 16. Iowa | 28. Arizona State |
| 5. Utah | 17. California | 29. Southern Utah |
| 6. Michigan State | 18. Ohio State | 30. BYU |
| 7. Missouri | 19. Nebraska | 31. Maryland |
| 8. Alabama | 20. Clemson | 32. Boise State |
| 9. Georgia | 21. Oregon State | 33. Towson |
| 10. Auburn | 22. Denver | 34. Washington |
| 11. Stanford | 23. Arizona | 35. Utah State |
| 12. Kentucky | 24. N.C. State | 36. West Virginia |
Sarah
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Kentucky | 25. Arizona State |
| 2. LSU | 14. Georgia | 26. Washington |
| 3. UCLA | 15. Minnesota | 27. Maryland |
| 4. Florida | 16. Michigan | 28. North Carolina |
| 5. Utah | 17. Ohio State | 29. BYU |
| 6. Michigan State | 18. Clemson | 30. Penn State |
| 7. Missouri | 19. Denver | 31. Nebraska |
| 8. Alabama | 20. Arizona | 32. Illinois |
| 9. Arkansas | 21. N.C. State | 33. Towson |
| 10. Stanford | 22. Iowa | 34. West Virginia |
| 11. Auburn | 23. Oregon State | 35. Utah State |
| 12. California | 24. Southern Utah | 36. Boise State |
Sara
| 1. LSU | 13. Kentucky | 25. Arizona State |
| 2. Oklahoma | 14. California | 26. Iowa |
| 3. Missouri | 15. Oregon State | 27. Ohio State |
| 4. UCLA | 16. Stanford | 28. Clemson |
| 5. Utah | 17. Michigan | 29. Utah State |
| 6. Florida | 18. Arizona | 30. Nebraska |
| 7. Michigan State | 19. Minnesota | 31. Illinois |
| 8. Alabama | 20. Maryland | 32. BYU |
| 9. Georgia | 21. Penn State | 33. Boise State |
| 10. Arkansas | 22. Southern Utah | 34. Rutgers |
| 11. Auburn | 23. North Carolina | 35. Towson |
| 12. Denver | 24. N.C. State | 36. West Virginia |
Tara
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Denver | 25. Clemson |
| 2. LSU | 14. California | 26. Nebraska |
| 3. Utah | 15. Minnesota | 27. Southern Utah |
| 4. Florida | 16. Georgia | 28. North Carolina |
| 5. UCLA | 17. Michigan | 29. Washington |
| 6. Michigan State | 18. Ohio State | 30. BYU |
| 7. Alabama | 19. N.C. State | 31. Maryland |
| 8. Arkansas | 20. Iowa | 32. Boise State |
| 9. Kentucky | 21. Arizona | 33. Illinois |
| 10. Auburn | 22. Penn State | 34. West Virginia |
| 11. Missouri | 23. Arizona State | 35. Rutgers |
| 12. Stanford | 24. Oregon State | 36. Towson |
Claire H.
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Michigan | 25. Southern Utah |
| 2. Florida | 14. Minnesota | 26. BYU |
| 3. LSU | 15. Ohio State | 27. N.C. State |
| 4. UCLA | 16. Denver | 28. Arizona State |
| 5. Utah | 17. Kentucky | 29. Washington |
| 6. Arkansas | 18. Clemson | 30. Nebraska |
| 7. Alabama | 19. North Carolina | 31. Rutgers |
| 8. Michigan State | 20. Penn State | 32. Maryland |
| 9. Georgia | 21. Iowa | 33. Boise State |
| 10. Missouri | 22. California | 34. Utah State |
| 11. Stanford | 23. Arizona | 35. Central Michigan |
| 12. Auburn | 24. Oregon State | 36. Illinois |
Brandis
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Kentucky | 25. Arizona |
| 2. Florida | 14. Michigan | 26. Illinois |
| 3. LSU | 15. California | 27. North Carolina |
| 4. UCLA | 16. Auburn | 28. Penn State |
| 5. Utah | 17. Oregon State | 29. Arizona State |
| 6. Missouri | 18. N.C. State | 30. Maryland |
| 7. Arkansas | 19. Denver | 31. West Virginia |
| 8. Michigan State | 20. Iowa | 32. Utah State |
| 9. Alabama | 21. Ohio State | 33. Rutgers |
| 10. Georgia | 22. Clemson | 34. BYU |
| 11. Minnesota | 23. Southern Utah | 35. Central Michigan |
| 12. Stanford | 24. Nebraska | 36. Boise State |
Mariah
| 1. Oklahoma | 13. Georgia | 25. Nebraska |
| 2. Florida | 14. Stanford | 26. Penn State |
| 3. LSU | 15. Ohio State | 27. Southern Utah |
| 4. Utah | 16. California | 28. Illinois |
| 5. UCLA | 17. Iowa | 29. Arizona State |
| 6. Alabama | 18. Denver | 30. Washington |
| 7. Michigan State | 19. Michigan | 31. BYU |
| 8. Missouri | 20. Oregon State | 32. Boise State |
| 9. Kentucky | 21. N.C. State | 33. Maryland |
| 10. Arkansas | 22. North Carolina | 34. Towson |
| 11. Auburn | 23. Clemson | 35. West Virginia |
| 12. Minnesota | 24. Arizona | 36. Utah State |
READ THIS NEXT: Oklahoma Tops College Gym News 2026 Preseason Poll
Votes cast by Elizabeth Grimsley, Katherine Weaver, Rebecca Scally, Savanna Wellman, Julianna Roland, Penny McNees, Frances Leadman, Sophie Poirier, Alyssa Van Auker, Sarah Smith, Sara Finkelstein, Tara Graeve, Claire Harmon, Brandis Heffner, and Mariah Dawson
