Houston earns top ten ranking in initial preseason basketball poll

The Associated Press released its initial men's college basketball poll for the 2026-2027 season. According to Yahoo Sports, Florida holds the number one ranking in the nation. Texas ranks seventh in the country, while Houston occupies the number 10 position. [2][3][9]

The preseason rankings feature multiple teams from the same region in the top ten. CBS Sports and 247Sports noted that head coach Kelvin Sampson leads the tenth-ranked Houston program entering the new campaign. Sports Illustrated also confirmed that the Houston Cougars earned a top ten spot in the initial AP media poll. [1][2][8][9]

In women's college basketball, Yahoo Sports reported that the Associated Press placed Texas at number six in its preseason ranking. College basketball is played by student-athletes at universities and colleges across the United States under governing bodies like the National Collegiate Athletic Association. [2][12]

In college football news involving the same schools, Yahoo College Football reported that ESPN's Pete Thamel stated Utah starting offensive guard Kelvin Obot will miss the upcoming game against Houston. Yahoo College Football also reported that number 14 Houston will play number 10 Utah on Saturday night. [4][7]