AP Top 25 Just Dropped – Here’s How They Compare with Betting Odds

The Associated Press (AP) Top 25 college football poll, a ranking of the top 25 NCAA football teams, began in 1936. Here’s a brief history:

• 1934: The AP started ranking college football teams informally, with sportswriters voting on the best teams, but these were not yet official polls.
• 1936: The first official AP poll was released on October 19, 1936, with only a top 20 format. Minnesota was the first No. 1 team, finishing the season atop the poll. The poll was based on votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
• 1940s-1950s: The poll expanded to a Top 25 format in 1989, but during this earlier period, it typically ranked fewer teams (often 10 or 20). Voting occurred weekly during the season, with the final poll crowning a national champion after the regular season until 1968.
• 1968: The AP began releasing a final poll after bowl games, recognizing the importance of postseason play in determining a champion. This shift aimed to better reflect team performance in major bowl games.
• 1970s-1990s: The AP poll grew in prominence, becoming a key factor in determining national champions, alongside the Coaches Poll (started in 1950 by United Press International). Rankings were based on subjective votes, leading to occasional controversies over splits between the AP and Coaches Polls.
• 1998-2013: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era incorporated the AP poll as one component in determining national championship game participants, though the AP withdrew from the BCS formula in 2004, preferring independent rankings.
• 2014-Present: With the introduction of the College Football Playoff (CFP), the AP poll remains a prominent ranking system but does not directly influence playoff selections, which are determined by a separate committee. The AP poll continues to name its own national champion based on the final postseason poll.

The AP poll has evolved from a simple ranking to a widely respected measure of college football success, relying on a voting panel of journalists and media members. It remains influential in shaping public perception and debates over team rankings, despite not being part of the CFP selection process.