The Associated Press (AP) poll ranks the top 25 NCAA Division I college teams in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. Each week, 62 sportswriters and broadcasters vote on their top 25 teams. Points are awarded based on ranking (25 points for first, 24 for second, etc.), and the team with the most points earns the top spot. The individual ballots are made public, adding transparency to the process.
November 1934: Early AP Poll on College Football
In November 1934, the Associated Press (AP) conducted one of the earliest polls of sports writers to determine the best college football teams in the country.
1935: Three-Way Tie and the Birth of the AP Poll
In 1935, AP sports editor Alan J. Gould declared a three-way tie for the national champion in football, sparking protests and leading to the suggestion of a sports editors poll.
1936: AP Poll Starts Ranking Top 20 Teams
The AP Poll began ranking the top 20 college football teams in the nation in 1936.
1936: Start of AP Poll and Tracking of Top Team Matchups
The AP Poll was established in 1936, and since then, the matchups between the number one and number two ranked teams have been closely followed.
1936: The AP College Football Poll Begins
The weekly AP college football poll, a poll of sports editors, was established in 1936 and has continued ever since.
1947: First Unofficial Post-Bowl AP Poll
The AP released its first unofficial post-bowl poll, separate from its regular season final poll, in 1947.
1948: AP Begins Compiling Men's Basketball Rankings
The AP began compiling rankings for the top 20 college men's basketball teams during the 1948–1949 season.
1949: AP Continues Men's Basketball Rankings
The AP continued its efforts to rank the top college men's basketball teams in the 1948-1949 season, laying the groundwork for a continuous poll.
1950: Introduction of the AP Preseason Poll
The AP started conducting a preseason poll for college football in 1950.
1950: United Press Begins Publishing Coaches Poll
The United Press began publishing the Coaches Poll, a rival to the AP Poll, in 1950.
1950: AP Establishes Continuous Men's Basketball Poll
The AP Poll for men's basketball became a continuous feature starting from the 1950–1951 season.
1951: Continuous Men's Basketball AP Poll Continues
The AP Poll for men's basketball continued its run, solidifying its presence in the sport.
1954: Split National Title
A split national title occurred in 1954, with the AP Poll and Coaches Poll disagreeing on the top-ranked team.
1957: First Split National Title
The year 1957 marked the first instance of a "split" national title, where the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll disagreed on the No. 1 team.
1958: United Press International Takes Over Coaches Poll
United Press International (UPI) took over the publication of the Coaches Poll in 1958.
1961: AP Poll Temporarily Reduces Ranked Teams
The AP Poll temporarily reduced the number of ranked teams to ten from 1961.
1965: Split National Title
A split national title occurred in 1965, highlighting the differences in rankings between the AP Poll and Coaches Poll.
1965: AP Championship Reflects Bowl Game Results
The AP decided to wait until after the bowl games to crown its champion in 1965, resulting in Alabama securing the top spot in the final AP Poll after winning the Orange Bowl.
1967: AP Poll Reverts to Ranking 20 Teams
The AP Poll reverted back to ranking 20 teams after a period of ranking only ten.
1968: Permanent Post-Bowl AP Poll and Championship Reflection
In 1968, the post-bowl game poll became a permanent fixture in the AP Poll, with the AP championship reflecting the results of the bowl games.
1968: Permanent Post-Bowl AP Poll
The AP Poll made the post-bowl game poll a permanent fixture, with the AP championship reflecting the bowl game results, starting in 1968.
1970: Split National Title
The AP Poll and Coaches Poll produced different national champions in 1970, leading to a split national title.
1973: Split National Title
Another split national title occurred in 1973 due to discrepancies between the AP Poll and Coaches Poll rankings.
1974: Split National Title
The year 1974 witnessed yet another instance of a split national title, as the AP Poll and Coaches Poll differed in their selection of the top team.
1974: UPI Coaches Poll Adopts Post-Bowl Ranking
The UPI Coaches Poll adopted the practice of conducting a post-bowl poll in 1974, aligning with the AP Poll's approach.
1976: The Inauguration of the Women's Basketball Poll
The women's basketball poll was established in 1976, spearheaded by Mel Greenberg and published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. It began as a coach-driven poll, with coaches ranking the top teams via telephone to compile a Top 20 list.
1977: Pat Summitt Joins the Women's Basketball Poll
In 1977, legendary coach Pat Summitt joined the women's basketball poll, recognizing its value in tracking top teams beyond her own schedule.
1978: Split National Title
In 1978, a split national title arose due to differing opinions between the AP Poll and Coaches Poll.
1988: AP Poll Expands to 25 Teams
The AP poll expanded from ranking 20 teams to ranking 25 teams in 1989.
1989: Men's Basketball AP Poll Expands
The AP Poll for men's basketball expanded to include 25 teams starting with the 1989-1990 season.
1989: AP Poll Expands to 25 Teams
The AP poll expanded to include a ranking of the top 25 college football teams in 1989.
1989: Women's Basketball Poll Maintains Top 20 Format
The women's basketball poll consistently used a Top 20 format until 1989, providing a concise ranking of the leading teams in the sport.
1990: Expanded Men's Basketball AP Poll Continues
The expanded AP Poll for men's basketball, now ranking 25 teams, continued into the 1990s.
1990: Expansion of the Women's Basketball Poll
The women's basketball poll expanded from a Top 20 to a Top 25 format in 1990, broadening its scope to include more teams.
1990: USA Today Begins Publishing Coaches Poll
USA Today assumed publication of the Coaches Poll from UPI in 1991.
1991: Split National Titles and Changes in Coaches Poll Publication
The year 1991 saw another split national title and marked the beginning of USA Today and CNN's involvement in publishing the Coaches Poll.
1994: AP Takes Over and a Historic Shift in Women's Basketball
In 1994, the Associated Press took over the administration of the women's basketball poll from Mel Greenberg, transitioning to a panel of writers. This year also saw a unique event where the AP poll was delayed for the first time to accommodate a game between the top two teams, Tennessee and Connecticut. Connecticut won the game and took the No. 1 spot, ultimately finishing the season undefeated.
1996: CNN Ends Involvement with Coaches Poll
CNN ceased its involvement with the Coaches Poll after the 1996 season.
1997: ESPN Joins Coaches Poll Publication
ESPN joined the Coaches Poll publication team in 1997, partnering with USA Today.
1997: Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Introduced
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was created in 1997 to unify poll results and select two teams for a national championship game.
2003: Split National Title
A split national title occurred in 2003, with the AP Poll and Coaches Poll recognizing different teams as the national champions.
2003: BCS Controversy and Split National Title
In 2003, a controversy arose in the BCS system when USC was ranked third despite being ranked first in human polls. This led to a split national title, with USC topping the AP Poll and LSU winning the BCS championship.
2004: AP Poll Removed from BCS Rankings
Following controversies and pressure from AP Poll voters, the Associated Press requested the removal of its poll from the BCS rankings after the 2004 season.
2004: Controversies and Lobbying in BCS Rankings
In 2004, controversy arose when Auburn and Utah, both undefeated, were left out of the BCS title game in favor of Oklahoma. Additionally, Texas's lobbying efforts to improve their ranking and secure a Rose Bowl spot caused further controversy and highlighted the influence of human polls in the BCS system.
2004: AP Poll Removed from BCS Rankings
The AP requested the removal of its poll from the BCS rankings in 2004 due to controversies.
2005: ESPN Ends Involvement with Coaches Poll
ESPN concluded its role in publishing the Coaches Poll in 2005.
2005: Final Season of AP Poll in BCS Rankings
The 2004-2005 season marked the last time the AP Poll was a factor in determining the BCS rankings.
2012: AP Introduces Pro Football Rankings
In 2012, the Associated Press expanded into the realm of professional football with the launch of the AP Pro32 rankings, a weekly ranking of NFL teams.
2023: Number One vs. Number Two Matchups in AP Poll History
Through the 2023 season, the number one ranked team in the AP Poll faced off against the number two ranked team a total of 54 times since the poll's inception.
January 10, 2024: AP Celebrates 75 Years of Men's College Basketball Poll
On January 10, 2024, the Associated Press commemorated the 75th anniversary of their prestigious AP poll for men's college basketball, highlighting Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, and UCLA as the top 5 most successful programs based on their rankings.