You know the college softball season is getting close when the preseason rankings are announced!
The two major polls–the USA Softball/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball—both have UCLA listed right where they were at the end of 2019 (National Champs) and 2020 (COVID-19 impacted shutdown): ranked #1.
Here are today’s releases…
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2021 USA Today / NFCA Division I
Top 25 Coaches Poll – January 26 (Preseason)
UCLA was voted the unanimous No. 1 team in the 2021 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll.
Receiving all 32 first-place votes, the Bruins enter the 2021 campaign where they left off a year ago as the top-ranked team in the final five polls before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season.
In 2020, UCLA posted a 25-1 mark and collected wins over seven nationally-ranked teams, while it posted an NCAA-best 13 shutouts (tied with Arizona State) along the way. The 2019 national champions have been ranked No. 1 now 15 times since April 24, 2018 and among the Top 5 since the final 2017 poll.
Pac-12 foes Washington (23-2) and Arizona (22-3) followed UCLA at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, and a fourth Pac-12 program, Oregon, came in at No. 10.
The Southeastern Conference had three programs – No. 5 LSU (21-3), No. 7 Florida (23-4) and No. 8 Alabama (14-8) – in the top-10.
The Big 12 is represented by league-favorite No. 4 Oklahoma (20-4) and No. 6 Texas (24-3). Ninth-ranked Louisiana (18-6) out of the Sun Belt Conference finalized the top-10.
In all, nine SEC programs entered the preseason nationally ranked, followed by the Pac-12 with five and the Big 12 with four.
Joining the top-10 SEC teams are No. 13 Kentucky (20-4), No. 14 Georgia (23-5), No. 18 Arkansas (19-6), No. 19 South Carolina (17-6), No. 20 Mississippi State (25-3) and No. 23 Missouri (19-7). No. 16 Arizona State (22-7) is fifth Pac-12 institution. No. 11 Oklahoma State (19-5) and No. 22 Baylor (19-5) rounded out the Big 12 teams.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is represented by No. 12 Florida State (17-7), No. 15 Virginia Tech (21-4) and No. 25 Duke. The Blue Devils, who raced out to a 23-4 start last season, are in the NFCA’s Top 25 for the first time in program history.
A pair from the Big Ten in No. 17 Michigan (15-8) and No. 24 Minnesota (15-9-1), along with No. 21 UCF (21-5-1), the American Athletic Conference preseason favorite, finalize the preseason rankings.
The 2021 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference.
| Rank | School | Points | Final 2020 Record | Final 2020 Ranking |
| 1 | UCLA (32) | 800 | 25-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Washington | 748 | 23-2 | 2 |
| 3 | Arizona | 717 | 22-3 | 4 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 708 | 20-4 | 6 |
| 5 | LSU | 644 | 21-3 | 5 |
| 6 | Texas | 611 | 24-3 | 3 |
| 7 | Florida | 605 | 23-4 | 7 |
| 8 | Alabama | 588 | 14-8 | 10 |
| 9 | Louisiana | 565 | 18-6 | 8 |
| 10 | Oregon | 481 | 22-2 | 9 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 476 | 19-5 | 12 |
| 12 | Florida State | 403 | 17-7 | 12 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 359 | 20-4 | 11 |
| 14 | Georgia | 352 | 23-5 | 14 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 317 | 21-4 | 16 |
| 16 | Arizona State | 295 | 22-7 | 17 |
| 17 | Michigan | 264 | 15-8 | 18 |
| 18 | Arkansas | 244 | 19-6 | 19 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 227 | 17-6 | 15 |
| 20 | Mississippi State | 180 | 25-3 | 20 |
| 21 | UCF | 159 | 21-5-1 | 21 |
| 22 | Baylor | 147 | 19-5 | 23 |
| 23 | Missouri | 117 | 19-7 | 25 |
| 24 | Minnesota | 114 | 15-9-1 | 22 |
| 25 | Duke | 64 | 23-4 | RV |
Receiving Votes:Â Fresno State (62), Tennessee (54), Stanford (33), Utah (13), Cal State Fullerton (12), Clemson (9), North Texas (8), Texas Tech (8), Northwestern (7), James Madison (6), Liberty (1), Notre Dame (1), San Diego State (1).
The 2021 USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences.
2021 NFCA Division I Poll Committee
*Programs not competing in 2021 will not be eligible for the Top-25 poll.
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ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25
2021 Season – Preseason – January 26, 2021
| 1. | 
UCLA (19) |
Final 2020 Rank: 1 |
| Points: 492 | ||
| 2. | 
Washington (1) |
Final 2020 Rank: 2 |
| Points: 466 | ||
| 3. | 
Arizona |
Final 2020 Rank: 4 |
| Points: 440 | ||
| 4. | 
Oklahoma |
Final 2020 Rank: T6 |
| Points:Â 420 | ||
| 5. | 
LSU |
Final 2020 Rank: 5 |
| Points:Â 412 | ||
| 6. | 
Florida |
Final 2020 Rank: T6 |
| Points:Â 385 | ||
| 7. | 
Texas |
Final 2020 Rank: 3 |
| Points:Â 357 | ||
| 8. | 
Alabama |
Final 2020 Rank: 13 |
| Points:Â 351 | ||
| 9. | 
Louisiana |
Final 2020 Rank: 9 |
| Points: 319 | ||
| 10. | 
Oklahoma State |
Final 2020 Rank: 11 |
| Points:Â 313 | ||
| 11. | 
Oregon |
Final 2020Â Rank: 8 |
| Points:Â 296 | ||
| 12. | 
Florida State |
Final 2020 Rank: 12 |
| Points:Â 272 | ||
| 13. | 
Kentucky |
Final 2020Â Rank: 10 |
| Points:Â 246 | ||
| 14. | 
Georgia |
Final 2020 Rank: 14 |
| Points: 216 | ||
| 15. | 
Arizona State |
Final 2020Â Rank: T15 |
| Points: 183 | ||
| 16. | 
Virginia Tech |
Final 2020Â Rank: 18 |
| Points:Â 177 | ||
| 17. | 
Michigan |
Final 2020 Rank: 19 |
| Points:Â 168 | ||
| 18. | 
Baylor |
Final 2020 Rank: 17 |
| Points: 148 | ||
| 19. | 
South Carolina |
Final 2020 Rank: T15 |
| Points: 125 | ||
| 20. | 
Minnesota |
Final 2020 Rank: 22 |
| Points:Â 119 | ||
| 21. | 
Arkansas |
Final 2020 Rank: 21 |
| Points: 111 | ||
| 22. | 
Mississippi State |
Final 2020 Rank: 20 |
| Points:Â 105 | ||
| 23. | 
Tennessee |
Final 2020 Rank:- |
| Points: 77 | ||
| 24. |
|
Final 2020Â Rank: RV |
| Points: 55 | ||
| 25. | 
UCF |
Final 2020 Rank: 24 |
| Points:Â 51 |
Missouri*Records reflect the 2020 season
Parenthesis denotes first place votes.
Others receiving votes:Â Fresno State (42), Northwestern (38), Duke (30), James Madison (15), Stanford (12), Texas A&M (12), South Florida (10), Oregon State (9), Ole Miss (6), Ohio State (6), Notre Dame (5), NC State (4), Auburn (2), North Texas (2), Texas Tech (2), Utah (2).
