LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UCLA was voted the unanimous No. 1 team in the 2021 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll. Receiving all 32 first-place votes, the Bruins enter the 2021 campaign where they left off a year ago as the top-ranked team in the final five polls before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season.
In 2020, UCLA posted a 25-1 mark and collected wins over seven nationally-ranked teams, while it posted an NCAA-best 13 shutouts (tied with Arizona State) along the way. The 2019 national champions have been ranked No. 1 15 times since April 24, 2018 and amongst the top five since the final 2017 poll.
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Pac-12 foes Washington (23-2) and Arizona (22-3) followed UCLA at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, and a fourth Pac-12 program, Oregon, came in at No. 10. The Southeastern Conference had three programs - No. 5 LSU (21-3), No. 7 Florida (23-4) and No. 8 Alabama (14-8) - in the top-10. The Big 12 is represented by league-favorite No. 4 Oklahoma (20-4) and No. 6 Texas (24-3). Ninth-ranked Louisiana (18-6) out of the Sun Belt Conference finalized the top-10.
In all, nine SEC programs entered the preseason nationally ranked, followed by the Pac-12 with five and the Big 12 with four. Joining the top-10 SEC teams are No. 13 Kentucky (20-4), No. 14 Georgia (23-5), No. 18 Arkansas (19-6), No. 19 South Carolina (17-6), No. 20 Mississippi State (25-3) and No. 23 Missouri (19-7). No. 16 Arizona State (22-7) is fifth Pac-12 institution. No. 11 Oklahoma State (19-5) and No. 22 Baylor (19-5) rounded out the Big 12 teams.
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The Atlantic Coast Conference is represented by No. 12 Florida State (17-7), No. 15 Virginia Tech (21-4) and No. 25 Duke. The Blue Devils, who raced out to a 23-4 start last season, are in the NFCA’s Top 25 for the first time in program history.
A pair from the Big Ten in No. 17 Michigan (15-8) and No. 24 Minnesota (15-9-1), along with No. 21 UCF (21-5-1), the American Athletic Conference preseason favorite, finalize the preseason rankings.
The 2021 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference.
|
RANK |
SCHOOL |
POINTS |
FINAL 2020 RECORD |
FINAL 2020 RANKING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA (32) | 800 | 25-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Washington | 748 | 23-2 | 2 |
| 3 | Arizona | 717 | 22-3 | 4 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 708 | 20-4 | 6 |
| 5 | LSU | 644 | 21-3 | 5 |
| 6 | Texas | 611 | 24-3 | 3 |
| 7 | Florida | 605 | 23-4 | 7 |
| 8 | Alabama | 588 | 14-8 | 10 |
| 9 | Louisiana | 565 | 18-6 | 8 |
| 10 | Oregon | 481 | 22-2 | 9 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 476 | 19-5 | 12 |
| 12 | Florida State | 403 | 17-7 | 12 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 359 | 20-4 | 11 |
| 14 | Georgia | 352 | 23-5 | 14 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 317 | 21-4 | 16 |
| 16 | Arizona State | 295 | 22-7 | 17 |
| 17 | Michigan | 264 | 15-8 | 18 |
| 18 | Arkansas | 244 | 19-6 | 19 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 227 | 17-6 | 15 |
| 20 | Mississippi State | 180 | 25-3 | 20 |
| 21 | UCF | 159 | 21-5-1 | 21 |
| 22 | Baylor | 147 | 19-5 | 23 |
| 23 | Missouri | 117 | 19-7 | 25 |
| 24 | Minnesota | 114 | 15-9-1 | 22 |
| 25 | Duke | 64 | 23-4 | NR |
