Arizona Wildcats ranked, make season debut in AP Top 25 poll
The Wildcats (5-1, 2-1) are coming off a bye week, but Saturday's slate saw eight ranked teams lose, including five of the top seven teams.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita (1) during an NCAA college football game against Northern Illinois in Tucson, Ariz., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Arizona Wildcats are ranked for the first time this season after landing at No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll released Sunday.
The Wildcats (5-1, 2-1) are coming off a bye week, but Saturday’s slate saw eight ranked teams lose, including five of the top seven teams. No teams below 18th in last week’s poll lost, but after receiving the 28th-most votes last week, the Wildcats were able to leapfrog their way into the poll partly due to their quality loss to BYU earlier this year.
Arizona’s lone loss on the season came during a Week 2 trip to Provo, where the Wildcats fell 28-17 to now-No. 2 BYU after leading at the half.
On Saturday, BYU controversially beat then-No.2 Notre Dame 28-24 to remain undefeated on the season.
This is the sixth week overall and third straight season Arizona has been ranked in the Brent Brennan era. The Wildcats also matched a program record of being ranked for a fourth straight season (1992-95). The Wildcats went more than six years without being ranked following a loss in 2017 until they reentered the poll in 2023.
Arizona will host Iowa State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for homecoming, where the Wildcats have a chance to clinch bowl eligibility.
Looking to secure their fifth 10-win season in program history, the Wildcats continue the second half of the season with a road trip to No. 8 Texas Tech on Oct. 31. They then return home to face TCU on Nov. 6 and host No. 10 Utah on Nov. 14. Arizona travels to Kansas State on Nov. 21 before closing out the regular season by hosting Arizona State in the Territorial Cup on Nov. 28.
Wildest week of season shifts top of this week’s poll
On Saturday, Auburn defeated then-No. 1 Georgia in Athens via a game-winning 34-yard field goal, marking the first time No. 1 teams lost in back-to-back weeks since 1990.
Elsewhere, Miami survived in double overtime against Florida State; Ohio State squeezed by Indiana but lost quarterback Julian Sayin to a right arm injury; Florida stunned Texas, and Tennessee gave Alabama its second loss in a row.
Full AP Top 25
| Team | Record | Pts | Prv |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Miami | 6-0 | 1,697 | 3 |
| 2. BYU | 6-0 | 1,675 | 8 |
| 3. Ohio State | 6-1 | 1,649 | 4 |
| 4. Notre Dame | 6-1 | 1,395 | 2 |
| 5. Georgia | 6-1 | 1,382 | 1 |
| 6. Indiana | 6-1 | 1,370 | 5 |
| 7. Ole Miss | 5-1 | 1,360 | 9 |
| 8. Texas Tech | 6-0 | 1,336 | 10 |
| 9. UCLA | 6-0 | 1,159 | 12 |
| 10. Utah | 6-0 | 1,153 | 11 |
| 11. Tennessee | 6-1 | 1,151 | 14 |
| 12. Kentucky | 6-1 | 932 | 15 |
| 13. Alabama | 5-2 | 870 | 6 |
| 14. Houston | 6-1 | 785 | 20 |
| 15. Iowa | 5-1 | 747 | 17 |
| 16. USC | 6-1 | 592 | 19 |
| 17. Wake Forest | 6-1 | 574 | 21 |
| 18. LSU | 5-2 | 529 | 22 |
| 19. Texas | 4-2 | 440 | 7 |
| 20. Florida | 5-2 | 355 | NR |
| 21. Boise State | 5-1 | 295 | 23 |
| 22. Missouri | 5-2 | 290 | 13 |
| 23. SMU | 5-1 | 265 | 24 |
| 24. Northwestern | 5-1 | 254 | 25 |
| 25. Arizona | 5-1 | 136 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 128, Oregon 79, Auburn 61, James Madison 52, Mississippi State 30, New Mexico 6, Oregon State 3
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