College Sports
Florida leads the preseason AP basketball poll ahead of Duke and Illinois
The Gators received 47 of 59 first-place votes. Their early schedule includes a Miami opener and a December home game against second-ranked Duke.
What to know
- Florida begins atop the preseason AP men's basketball rankings.
- Duke and Illinois received the remaining first-place votes.
- Florida's official schedule lists a November 2 regular-season opener against Miami in Tampa.
- Preseason voting describes expectations; the games still have to establish results.
Florida is the preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press men's college basketball poll released Monday, October 19, receiving 47 of 59 first-place votes. Duke is second with 10 first-place votes, and Illinois is third with two, according to the AP's poll report.
The first-place vote in perspective
Florida's total represents about 80% of the first-place ballots, calculated from the AP's reported 47 out of 59. That is a clear preference at the top of the poll. It does not mean the Gators have an 80% chance of winning a national championship: votes express the panel's judgments, not a statistical probability.
For fans, the ranking is a useful starting point for following the season. A preseason position gives the opening weeks a narrative, but a team still has to show how well it defends, handles pressure and executes against its opponents. A number beside a name cannot answer those questions before the games do.
Dates to put on the calendar
The Gators' official 2026–27 schedule lists a home exhibition against Stetson on October 27 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The regular-season opener against Miami follows November 2 in Tampa at 6 p.m. Eastern.
Florida's first listed regular-season home game is against Jacksonville on November 5 at 8 p.m. Eastern, followed by a November 10 visit to Florida State at 6 p.m. Eastern.
A later date offers a direct matchup between the poll's top two teams: Duke is scheduled to visit Gainesville on December 1 at 9 p.m. Eastern for the SEC–ACC Challenge. Those rankings may change before then; calling it a guaranteed No. 1-versus-No. 2 game now would get ahead of the season.
What to watch next
The distinction between an exhibition and a regular-season game matters when following records and results. The school lists the upcoming Stetson game as an exhibition, while the Miami game opens the regular-season schedule.
For now, Florida has the poll's leading position and a set of early dates on which to test expectations. The next useful evidence will come from actual basketball games. Readers should consult the school schedule for any time or broadcast changes before making plans.
Sources and photo
Poll results: Associated Press, October 19. Game dates and times: University of Florida's official schedule. Archive photograph of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, March 31, 2017, by Oconnellctr, CC BY-SA 4.0. The image does not show a current game.
Photograph and reuse notes
The Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville on March 31, 2017. Archive photograph by Oconnellctr / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; not a current game. The website photograph is resized/compressed with responsive display cropping. Social adaptations add a crop, contrast gradient, NewsCubby branding and translated headline. The photograph and adapted cards retain CC BY-SA 4.0; no additional restrictions are imposed. Original photograph and rights record; license.
