Florida remained No. 1 in the first regular-season AP Top 25 poll of the 2026-27 campaign, released Monday, with the top of the rankings unchanged. Below the Gators, however, a handful of upsets during the opening week of the season triggered significant movement throughout the poll.
No team absorbed a bigger hit than Arizona. The Wildcats, ranked inside the preseason top 10, fell seven spots to No. 12 after losing to UCLA in their opening game in Las Vegas. It was a notable stumble for a program that did not suffer its first loss last season until February.
Arizona's loss was UCLA's gain. The Bruins soared 13 spots to No. 9 after opening the year with wins over the Wildcats and North Florida. In UCLA's 114-63 rout of North Florida last week, star freshman Nikola Kusturica was nearly flawless, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Virginia also made a statement over the weekend, climbing three spots to No. 6 after defeating Arkansas. The Cavaliers won behind a balanced scoring effort in which all five starters finished with at least 13 points. The loss sent John Calipari's Razorbacks tumbling seven spots to No. 19.
Iowa State was the lone team to drop out of the preseason rankings. The Cyclones suffered a stunning loss on opening night to Memphis despite entering the game as a double-digit favorite. Nebraska, coming off a win over Providence, took Iowa State's place and checked in at No. 25.
Among teams on the outside looking in, Memphis received the most votes of any unranked team with 97 points. Saint Louis was next with 67 after beating Missouri without Robbie Avila in the lineup, followed by Iowa State with 57. North Carolina (20), Iowa (15) and Baylor (14) also drew support, along with a dozen other programs that picked up at least one point.
Tennessee produced the most unusual slide of the week. The Volunteers dropped three spots to No. 11 despite not losing a game, as teams ranked behind them made big jumps. Tennessee gets a chance to climb back toward the top 10 when it faces Michigan State on Nov. 17, while Virginia's next scheduled ranked opponent is Kentucky.
