Houston is back in the initial AP Top 25, and the Cougars check in at No. 23 as the poll dropped Monday morning.
That slot puts Houston just one spot behind where it finished the 2025 season, when the Coogs ended up ranked No. 22 nationally. Now they head into 2026 with the kind of preseason attention that signals real expectations in year three under head coach Willie Fritz.
This is also a notable return for Houston on the opening AP list. The Cougars last appeared in the initial Top 25 in 2022, when they came in at No.
- Before that, it had been a rare occurrence for the program: this is only the third time in 26 years that Houston has opened in the AP poll.
The Cougars are part of a top 25 that starts with Ohio State at No. 1 and runs through Missouri at No. 25.
Oregon is No. 2, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas in the top five. Indiana lands at No. 6, with Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma rounding out the top 10.
The rest of the rankings place LSU at No. 11, Texas Tech at No. 12 and Alabama at No.
- BYU and USC share No.
14, Michigan sits at No. 16, Washington at No. 17 and Penn State at No.
- SMU checks in at No.
19, Tennessee at No. 20, Utah at No. 21 and Iowa at No. 22, with Louisville at No. 24 behind Houston.