LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Defending national champion Indiana will open the 2026 season ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press preseason poll, the program’s highest preseason ranking in history, while Louisville checks in at No. 24 in preseason balloting after going unranked in the coaches poll.
The Hoosiers, who have won 16 consecutive games and 29 of 31 played under head coach Curt Cignetti, received eight first-place votes — the third-highest number in the balloting — but were 43 points outside the Top 25.
Ohio State checked in at No. 1, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas. Behind Indiana, Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma finished out the Top 10.
Indiana is ranked in the preseason for only the fifth time ever. It was No. 20 to start last season, and carried preseason rankings in 2021 (No. 17), 1969 (14) and 1968 (13).
Louisville returns to the AP preseason poll for the first time since 2017, when it opened at No. 16 but was out of the poll in Week 7 and did not return.
The Cardinals were ranked in the poll four times last season, climbing as high as No. 14. It’s the ninth time Louisville has made the preseason rankings, with a high of No. 9 in 2013 — which concluded a run of five straight seasons in the preseason Top 25.
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