Florida opens the 2026-27 season at the top of the AP preseason poll, and the Gators arrive there with a résumé that convinced voters they belong. They picked up 47 of 59 first-place votes after winning the SEC regular-season title last season and bringing back several pieces from their 2025 national championship team.
Duke sits right behind Florida at No. 2, powered by 10 first-place votes, while Illinois landed the other two and checks in at No. 3.
UConn, which reached the national championship game, is fourth, and Arizona follows at No. 5 after making the Final Four. The early top five reflects just how much last season’s postseason run still shapes the way voters see the sport.
Florida’s ranking, though, comes with a built-in warning. The Gators opened last season at No. 3, dropped out of the poll during a rough stretch, and eventually were knocked out by Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed.
This year’s group has been through both sides of the experience - the title run and the quick March exit - and that’s a big reason voters put them on top. Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu are back, and Denzel Aberdeen returns after spending last season at Kentucky.
Kentucky has a storyline of its own at No. 23.
The Wildcats are now up to 998 AP poll appearances, leaving them two more from becoming the first program to reach 1,000. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, lands at No. 24 and is back in the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2015.
BYU rounds out the poll at No. 25.
One notable absence is Purdue. The Boilermakers drew votes, but not enough to stay ranked, ending their streak at 79 straight weeks in the AP Top 25.
Houston now owns the longest active run, according to the AP. Missouri and Nebraska were the top teams outside the rankings, positioned to push into the mix early.
The full preseason AP Top 25 runs from Florida at No. 1 through Vanderbilt at No. 24, with BYU closing the list at No. 25.
In Other News...
Jon Sumralls Late-Game Mindset Said Everything About Florida Vs Texas
Late in the fourth quarter against Texas, Jon Sumrall made it clear he was thinking the same way plenty of aggressive coaches do in a tight game: he wanted the first down, not the safer kick. The Florida coachs mindset fit the moment, with the Gators trying to finish off a victory and trusting the offense to make one more play instead of settling for points and handing the outcome back to the Longhorns.
On the critical third down, Tramell Jones answered with a nine-yard run that sealed it, removing the need for any debate about a field goal or a fourth-down call. Still, the whole sequence said a lot about how Florida viewed the end of the game, and it leaves the interesting question of what Sumrall would have done if Jones had been stopped short. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Napier Is Suddenly Back In A Job Florida Fans Know Well
Marylands coaching search is officially underway after the school moved on from Mike Locksley following an eight-season run and a 2-5 start, and one familiar name is already floating into the conversation. Athletic director James Smith now has to find the next leader for a program looking for a reset, and former Florida coach Billy Napier is among the candidates being mentioned.
Napier, of course, is a name Gators fans know well from his time in Gainesville, where the spotlight and pressure came fast. He is currently at James Madison and has the Dukes off to a 7-0 start, which only adds intrigue to any job talk surrounding him. For Florida fans, it is another reminder that Napiers career remains very much in motion, even if the next step is still unclear. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Defense Finally Showed An Edge With Georgia Looming
Floridas defense had been under fire for looking too cautious under coordinator Brad White, especially when explosive plays started piling up against it. Against Texas, though, the Gators looked far more willing to take chances, leaning into pressure and forcing Arch Manning to deal with a much different look than the one opponents had seen earlier in the season.
The shift was noticeable enough to raise the bigger question now hanging over Florida: was that just a one-game adjustment, or the start of a real change in how this defense wants to operate? With Georgia coming up, the Gators have a chance to show whether the more aggressive approach can hold up against a deeper, more punishing offense. [Read more 🡒]