BYU football and the preseason AP Top 25: History, trends, and results
Aug 17, 2026, 10:34 AM | Updated: Aug 18, 2026, 10:01 am
PROVO – For the 13th time in BYU football history, the Cougars appear in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
It’s the first time in four years that BYU appears in the rankings before the start of a season.
Taking a look back at BYU’s seasons when ranked going into a year.
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In the preseason poll, BYU has finished higher in the final rankings in only two seasons (1981, 2009). Will BYU make it a third in 2026?
2026: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 14
BYU opens the 2026 season on September 5 against Utah Tech
For the first time since BYU joined the Big 12 Conference, the Cougars appear in the preseason AP Top 25. BYU football has won 23 games over the past two seasons.
2022: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 25
Finished 8-5 overall and unranked in the final AP Top 25
The only time BYU football ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 during the Independent era was their final year without a conference. BYU started the year 4-1 before losing four in a row.
Then, BYU closed out the regular season with three straight wins, including an upset victory over Boise State.
2009: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 20
Finished 11-2 overall and No. 12 in the final AP Top 25
Led by Max Hall, Harvey Unga, and Dennis Pitta, BYU knocked off No. 3 Oklahoma in the first game at Cowboys Stadium (Jerry’s World).
They also beat ranked Utah and Oregon State.
2008: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 16
Finished 10-3 overall and No. 25 in the final AP Top 25
The “Quest for Perfection” season. After a pair of top-25 finishes in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, BYU was the preseason darling to bust the BCS and go undefeated.
The hype and expectations got to them. They still finished with ten wins, but it was a far cry from what they had hoped for. Of course, it didn’t help that rival Utah finished undefeated and went to the Sugar Bowl.
1997: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 19
Finished 6-5 overall and unranked in the final AP Top 25
After the glow of the No. 5 finish in the 1996 season. The voters gave an inexperienced BYU team the benefit of the doubt and still ranked them No. 19.
They quickly learned they weren’t ready for that ranking as No. 4 Washington crushed them 42-20 in Provo.
1993: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 19
Finished 6-6 overall and unranked in the final AP Top 25
BYU started the season 4-0, all of their victories coming against WAC opponents. Then the wheels came off during a trip to the Rose Bowl to face UCLA.
The Bruins whacked BYU 68-14 in Pasadena. Unfortunately for this squad, the eye-popping opponent scores continued. The 1993 team allowed 37 points per game.
1992: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 25
Finished 8-5 overall and unranked in the final AP Top 25
BYU started the season 1-3 and was entirely out of the national conversation for the remainder of the year.
1991: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 19
Finished 8-3-2 overall and No. 23 in the final AP Top 25
Ty Detmer’s senior year and the season he tried to win a second Heisman Trophy. The schedule was a gauntlet, as BYU opened with nationally ranked Florida State, UCLA, and Penn State, all on the road from Provo.
They started 0-3 but then worked their way back into the polls by not losing another game.
1990: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 16
Finished 10-3 overall and No. 22 in the final AP Top 25
The preseason buildup for BYU versus No. 1 Miami was out of this world. BYU got the upper hand, pulling off the greatest win in program history.
BYU climbed to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 twice. Entering the Hawaii game, BYU had an outside chance at contending for the National Championship. But losses to Hawaii and Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl sent BYU tumbling down the final rankings.
1989: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 19
Finished 10-3 overall and No. 22 in the final AP Top 25
Ty Detmer’s sophomore year. The nation already knew how prolific Detmer was becoming in LaVell Edwards’ passing attack.
BYU was ranked in all but three games in the ’89 season.
1986: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 18
Finished 8-5 overall and unranked in the final AP Top 25
Here’s a strange thought: the 1986 season ended with BYU not winning the WAC Championship. Can you imagine if social media existed back then? The uproar would have been unreal.
1985: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 10
Finished 11-3 overall and ranked No. 16 in the final AP Top 25
The year after the National Championship, BYU football was ranked throughout the 1985 season. A shocking loss at UTEP prevented BYU from potentially making another run at the title.
1981: Preseason AP Top 25 ranking – No. 16
Finished 11-2 overall and ranked No. 13 in the final AP Top 25
It was quite the accomplishment for BYU to earn a preseason ranking in 1981. The ranking came less than ten years after LaVell Edwards inherited a BYU program mired in mediocrity. He was turning them into a juggernaut.
Jim McMahon led BYU to an 11-2 season and a second consecutive year capped off with a Holiday Bowl victory.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
