When Do College Basketball Rankings Come Out?

By Sarah Miller · July 2, 2039

College basketball rankings are typically released weekly during the season, with the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll coming out every Monday starting in late November and continuing through early March.

When Are College Basketball Rankings Released?

The primary college basketball rankings — the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll — are published every Monday during the NCAA basketball season. The release usually occurs around 1:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), following the conclusion of weekend games. The first polls of the season generally appear in late November, shortly after the start of the regular season, and continue weekly until Selection Sunday in March.

Key Ranking Bodies and Their Release Schedule

Associated Press (AP) Top 25: Released every Monday, voted on by media members nationwide.
USA Today Coaches Poll: Published weekly on Mondays, voted on by Division I head coaches.
Kenneth Pomeroy (KenPom) Rankings: Updated daily, focusing on advanced efficiency metrics.
NET Rankings: Released daily from mid-December onward; used by the NCAA selection committee.

Why Do College Basketball Rankings Matter?

Rankings play a crucial role in shaping team reputations, influencing postseason selections, and determining seeding in the NCAA Tournament. They reflect performance trends and help fans, analysts, and programs evaluate competitive strength throughout the season.

How Rankings Influence the NCAA Tournament

Teams ranked in the top 10 of the NET or KenPom often receive favorable tournament seeds.
Consistent ranking in the AP or Coaches Poll signals national relevance and can boost at-large bid chances.
Selection Committee uses quadrant wins, which are based on opponent ranking at the time of the game.

Team	AP Rank (Week of Feb 3, 2025)	Coaches Poll Rank	NET Rank	KenPom Rank
Auburn	1	1	2	3
Duquesne	2	3	1	5
Tennessee	3	2	4	4
Florida	4	4	6	7
Creighton	5	5	3	6

Table data source:1, 2, 3

The table above shows strong correlation between traditional polls (AP and Coaches) and analytics-driven systems like NET and KenPom, though discrepancies exist—such as Duquesne ranking #1 in NET despite being #2 in the AP Poll. These differences highlight how subjective voting and objective metrics can lead to varied team evaluations.

How Are College Basketball Rankings Determined?

Each ranking system uses different methodologies:

AP Poll: Based on votes from a panel of 65 sportswriters and broadcasters. Each voter ranks their top 25 teams.
Coaches Poll: Voted on by 32 Division I head coaches, using a similar point system.
NET Rankings: A formula incorporating game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin (capped), and net offensive/defensive efficiency.
KenPom: Advanced analytics model using tempo-adjusted efficiency, opponent adjustments, and four factors (shooting, turnover, rebounding, and free throw rates).

Frequently Asked Questions About College Basketball Rankings

What time do the AP and Coaches Polls come out?

The AP Top 25 is typically released around 1:00 PM ET every Monday during the season. The USA Today Coaches Poll follows shortly after, usually within the same hour.

When does the first college basketball rankings come out each year?

The first AP and Coaches Polls are generally published in late November, about two to three weeks after the season begins. For the 2024–2025 season, the initial poll was released on November 25, 2024.

Are NET rankings the same as the AP poll?

No. The NET rankings are an algorithm-based metric developed by the NCAA to evaluate teams objectively, while the AP Poll is a subjective ranking determined by media voters.

Do preseason rankings affect the NCAA Tournament selection?

Preseason rankings don’t directly impact tournament selection, but they set expectations. Teams that perform below preseason projections may face tougher scrutiny when bubble teams are evaluated.