Miami Returns to No. 1 in AP Top 25 for First Time Since 2002
Miami has reached the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 college football rankings for the first time since 2002, while No. 2 BYU holds its highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season, with Notre Dame and Georgia…
Huntsville Decatur, AL, October 18, 2026 —
Miami has reached the No. 1 position in the AP Top 25 college football rankings for the first time since 2002, a return to the top of the poll after more than two decades.
BYU is ranked No. 2, its highest placement since the 1984 season, when it won the national championship. The rankings place the two programs in the top spots, while Notre Dame and Georgia also remain among the top five despite close losses.
The available information does not specify the week of the poll, the teams’ opponents, the scores of the close games or how the rankings changed from the previous poll. It also does not provide details about the voting margin or the records of the teams. Those details are not available in the summary.
The milestones distinguish the current positions from each program’s recent ranking history: Miami has not held the poll’s top spot since 2002, and BYU has not been ranked as high since its championship season four decades ago. The summary provides no further account of the teams’ performances or the circumstances behind their positions.
Notre Dame and Georgia’s continued presence in the top five means the poll’s upper tier includes both teams that sustained close losses and the programs occupying the first two spots. No additional ranking positions or movement are specified.
Story summarized from the original created by ERIC OLSON, Associated Press on whnt.com, see more information here.
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