The Associated Press preseason top 25 poll will be released on Aug. 12 at Noon ET, according to a report from Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.
With the college football season set to commence the weekend of Aug. 24, fans across the nation will look to the weekly AP Top 25 poll for the latest updates on where their team stands. Kick-started in 1936, the AP poll serves as the official hub for CFB rankings in the mainstream media.
As of Jan. 9, the AP’s final poll for the 2023-24 season had four Big Ten teams in the top 25, including Michigan (No. 1), Washington (No. 2), Oregon (No. 6), Ohio State (No. 10), Penn State (No. 13) and Iowa (No. 24).
For reference, the Associated Press preseason top 25 for the 2023-24 season had Michigan ranked No. 2, Ohio State at No. 3, Penn State at No. 7, and Washington at No. 10. The Wisconsin Badgers landed at No. 19 in the preseason rankings.
Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll will be released noon ET on Aug. 12
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 16, 2024
Outside the AP, ESPN’s post-spring top-25 rankings failed to include the Badgers among the nation’s best. The outlet did, however, place UW in the ‘just missed’ category alongside West Virginia, Texas A&M, Louisville, Kentucky, Washington, Boise State, Air Force and Liberty.
247Sports, on the other hand, put together a cumulative post-spring poll from the following outlets: CBS Sports, ESPN, The Athletic, USA Today, Athlon Sports, Lindy’s and Fox. The Badgers did make the top 25 of that list either.
Following a 7-6 output in 2023-24, UW will likely fail to crack the AP Top 25 this preseason. With tests against Alabama, Oregon, Penn State and USC on its slate, media members may be hesitant to place Wisconsin alongside college football’s best until they wait to prove their position among the sport’s powers.
Luke Fickell and the Badgers have plenty of opportunities to prove their standing, which starts when they welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide to Camp Randall on Sept. 14.