How do AP rankings work?

AP rankings (for college sports like football/basketball) are determined by a points system from a panel of about 60 sportswriters and broadcasters who vote weekly, ranking their top 25 teams; a #1 vote gets 25 points, #2 gets 24, down to 1 point for 25th place, with total points tallied for the final Top 25 list, focusing on recent performance, strength of schedule, and head-to-head results.

How are AP rankings decided?

Each voter submits their own Top 25 rankings through a secure link provided by the AP. The team rankings are then decided by a points system based on how each voter ranks college basketball's best teams.

Does the AP top 25 matter?

So while yes, the AP Poll is just “fun,” it means a lot more to a lot of programs. The thinking that it does not matter is just not true. The AP Poll is how all these teams are judged by the rest of the college football community and how bowl seedings—which do have monetary implications—could eventually be decided.

What conference dominates the AP top 25?

The Southeastern Conference has both top tier teams as well as depth this season with five schools ranked in the first seven of The Associated Press women's basketball poll Monday. Overall nine teams are in the Top 25, tying the Big Ten for the most ever in a single week in the 50-year history of the poll.

How are rankings decided in college football?

The CFP selection committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the regular season. The five highest ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will be seeded into a 12-team bracket based on the final ranking, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye.

Inside the AP Top 25: The role of the Poll

What determines if a high school is 4A or 5A?

High school classifications (like 4A or 5A) are determined primarily by student enrollment numbers, with larger schools typically in higher classes (like 5A or 6A) and smaller schools in lower classes (like 1A or 2A), but the specific thresholds and number of classes vary by state and sport, with some states using fixed numbers of schools per class or different rules for sports like football. State athletic associations (like KSHSAA or IHSAA) collect enrollment data, sort schools by size, and then assign them to competitive divisions to ensure fairer play, though some schools might choose to play up.
 

Why is Ohio State ranked 1?

Ohio State's dominating defense is a big reason why they are the top-ranked team in the country. According to Mack Rhoades, who is the chairman of the committee this year, it was the offensive line and their defense that stood out.

Is SEC or big 10 better?

It's a heated debate, but recent results suggest the Big Ten has closed the gap and may even be surpassing the SEC in top-tier performance, winning recent National Championships and having strong playoff showings, while the SEC still often boasts greater overall depth and brand power, though the lines are blurring with conference expansion and realignment shaking things up. 

How accurate is the AP poll?

Each sportswriter provides their own ranking and the final ranking is cumulative based on total points; 25 points for a top-ranked team, 24 for a second-ranked team, and so on. But the AP Poll is obviously not perfect, since at the end of the day it's reliant on the opinions of the sportswriters themselves.

What is the toughest division in college football?

SEC West

The SEC West comes out as the No. 1-ranked division in college football and it's likely no surprise. Alabama is coming off of a national championship and is ranked the No. 1 team in many preseason polls.

What is the #1 hardest AP class?

While it varies by student, AP Physics 1 is frequently cited as the #1 hardest AP class due to low pass rates, complex algebra-based concepts, and intensive lab work, with other top contenders for difficulty including AP U.S. History, AP Environmental Science, and AP English Language. The difficulty often comes from content overload, conceptual depth, and demands for hands-on application, making it challenging for many students to score high. 

Can a lower ranked college be a better fit?

While these rankings can provide some insights, it's crucial to remember that the best college for you isn't necessarily the highest-ranked one. Instead of fixating on numbers, focus on finding a school that aligns with your personal goals, learning style, and career aspirations.

Does Notre Dame get $14 million CFP payout as an independent?

Yes, Notre Dame secured a significant $14 million payout from the College Football Playoff (CFP) as an independent for reaching the semifinals, keeping the entire amount because they don't share with a conference like Big Ten or SEC teams do, making their individual payout much larger than their conference-aligned peers. This windfall highlights the financial benefits of Notre Dame's unique independent status in college football, allowing them to retain substantial earnings from their postseason success. 

What conferences are strong in 2025?

Ranking the 10 best NCAA college football conferences in 2025

• Big 12.
• ACC. ...
• AAC. ...
• Mountain West. ...
• Sun Belt. ...
• MAC. ...
• Conference USA. Conference USA also lost a few schools that departed in 2022. ...
• Pac-12. The Pac-12 is still in a state of transition after the conference was gutted when the "Power Four" conferences formed. ...

Why is Miami over Notre Dame?

Miami jumped Notre Dame in the final College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings primarily due to a crucial head-to-head victory earlier in the season, combined with the CFP committee evaluating them side-by-side after BYU's conference championship loss opened the door, revealing Miami's stronger performance in common games and overall resume, despite Notre Dame's higher initial rankings. The committee's chair cited the head-to-head win as the deciding factor when the teams became directly comparable in the final rankings. 

Which ranking system is most respected?

Even though, Times Higher Education has some good parameters, but QS remain the most strongest ranking system that is very close to the actual performance of the universities.

How do AP polls work?

In American college sports, the Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the nation.

Is Times or Qs better?

Which is better - QS vs Times? It seems that the league tables from the Times, in general, have better methodologies than QS; especially for their ranking of universities under 50 years old. However, QS has more tables to look at, giving you more insight into specific courses, regions and developing countries.

What is the hardest Big 10 school to get into?

The hardest Big Ten schools to get into are generally Northwestern University, due to its private status and lowest acceptance rate, followed closely by the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Maryland-College Park also being highly selective public universities in the mix. These schools typically have lower acceptance rates (around 10-20% for Michigan, under 10% for Northwestern) and higher average SAT/ACT scores compared to other Big Ten institutions.
 

Why did Michigan get kicked out of the Big Ten?

Early Adjustments and the Big Ten Name

Many fans don't know that Michigan briefly left the conference from 1908-1917 due to a disagreement over new regulations. Ohio State's addition in 1912 filled the gap.

What is the biggest rivalry in the Big Ten?

The Game: Ohio State at Michigan

This is the pinnacle of Big Ten Football rivalries and, arguably, the greatest in all of college sports. The animosity is legendary, stretching back to the "10-Year War" between coaching icons Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler.

Is it harder to get into OSU or michigan?

It is significantly harder to get into the University of Michigan (U-M) (Ann Arbor) than The Ohio State University (OSU). U-M is more selective with a much lower acceptance rate (around 26%) compared to OSU (around 68%), attracting students with higher average test scores and GPAs, making U-M the more difficult school to gain admission to, according to this CollegeVine article. 

What's the #1 university in the US?

There isn't one single #1 university in the U.S., as rankings vary by source, but Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Harvard University consistently appear at the very top, often trading #1 spots in major lists like U.S. News & World Report, Times Higher Education, and Forbes. 

Why is Indiana number one in Big 10?

2 Indiana capped its greatest regular season with a 13-10 win against top-ranked Ohio State to claim its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945. The Hoosiers (13-0) also secure the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff and will play Jan.