Indiana will begin the 2026 season in a spot no Hoosiers team has ever held before, landing at No. 6 in the Associated Press preseason poll. Louisville also found its way into the rankings, coming in at No. 24 after being left out of the coaches poll.
The defending national champions are coming off a run that has stretched to 16 straight wins and 29 victories in 31 games under Curt Cignetti. Their place at No. 6 comes with eight first-place votes, the third-most in the poll, even though they were still 43 points outside the Top 25.
At the top, Ohio State opened at No. 1, with Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas following. Indiana sits just behind that group, while Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma round out the Top 10.
This is only the fifth time Indiana has shown up in the AP preseason rankings. Last season it opened at No. 20, and its other preseason appearances came at No. 17 in 2021, No. 14 in 1969 and No. 13 in 1968.
For Louisville, the preseason return is its first since 2017, when it started at No. 16 before dropping out in Week 7 and never making it back. The Cardinals were in the AP poll four times last season and climbed as high as No.
- Overall, this is the ninth time Louisville has been included in the preseason rankings, with its best preseason slot coming in 2013 at No.
- That season also capped a five-year streak of preseason Top 25 appearances.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Sent A Clear Message About Scott Dolson
Indiana is making a point about Scott Dolson at a moment when the athletic department has every reason to feel good about itself. The Hoosiers athletic director has been rewarded for a run that includes national recognition and one of the more stable tenures in the Big Ten, and his latest extension reflects how much value the school places on the job he has done across the department.
The timing is hard to miss, too. Dolson hired Curt Cignetti, and the football programs rise under him has become part of the backdrop for this decision, which comes after Cignettis own extension and amid Indianas perfect season. For a program that has spent so much time trying to build something durable, the message is clear: the university sees Dolson as part of the foundation, not just the face of the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana May Have Its Most Dangerous Unit Heading Into 2026
Indianas defensive front has quietly become one of the most intriguing parts of the roster build for 2026, and the latest movement only adds to that. With past production already giving the line a solid foundation, the Hoosiers have spent the offseason layering experience on top of it, a sign that the staff is not treating this group like an area to merely patch together.
The mix now includes proven returners and transfer additions, giving Indiana more bodies and more options at the edge than it had a year ago. Even with the bigger picture still unfolding, the depth chart is starting to look unusually sturdy for a unit that could end up setting the tone for the entire defense. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Sent A Clear Message About Scott Dolson
Indianas athletic department has made its confidence in Scott Dolson plain. The Hoosiers extended the athletic directors contract through 2031 and raised his base salary to $1.15 million a year, a move that reflects how much ground the department believes it has gained under his watch since he took over in 2020.
Dolsons rise has tracked with a broader lift across Indiana athletics, including notable financial and programmatic improvements and a football resurgence that has helped change the conversation around the department. Add in his recognition as NACDA Athletics Director of the Year, and the extension reads less like a routine personnel note than a clear signal that Indiana sees him as central to what comes next. [Read more 🡒]