Who's Never Been #1? Purdue is Top-Ranked For Second Consecutive Season

December 14th, 2022 - 12:11

A total of 32 current power-conference members have failed to secure national #1 acclaim in their history. Newly-minted #1 Purdue achieved the feat for first time last season. The Boilermakers' reign didn't last long a year ago because of loss at the buzzer at Rutgers, which is one of the blemished 32. Every Power 6 Conference member has been included in an AP national ranking since the 2007-08 campaign with nearly 75% of them (24) ranking among top 12 teams in that span.

Georgia (24th in 2010-11) and Nebraska (21st in 2014-15) are the only elite schools in last 15 years not to reach the Top 20. Nebraska and Northwestern (19th in 2017-18 and 2020-21) are the only power-league members failing to rank among nation's top 15 teams at some point thus far in the 21st Century.

The only one of the 32 power-league institutions in question never placing among the Top 10 at some juncture is Texas Christian (best ranking was 12th during 1951-52 campaign until reaching 11th in January this season). TCU is about to crack Top 10 despite losing at home against obscure Northwestern State. Twelve of these schools have been national bridesmaid (with Maryland settling at #2 in seven different seasons including four straight years in mid-1970s) since AP poll was introduced midway through 1948-49:

Non-#1 School Power Conference(s) Best AP Ranking
Arizona State Border/WAC/Pac-12 #3 in 1962-63 and 2017-18
Boston College Big East/ACC #3 in 2004-05
Butler Mid-American/Horizon League/Atlantic 10/Big East #5 in 2019-20
California Pac-12 #2 in 1959-60
Clemson Southern/ACC #2 in 1996-97
Colorado Big Eight/Big 12/Pac-12 #6 in 1962-63
Creighton Missouri Valley/Big East #7 in 2016-17 and 2020-21
Florida State Metro/ACC #2 in 1972-73
Georgia SEC #10 in 1983-84
Iowa State Big Eight/Big 12 #3 in 1956-57
Louisiana State SEC #2 in 1980-81 and 1989-90
Maryland Southern/ACC/Big Ten #2 in 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1998-99, 2001-02 and 2015-16
Miami (Fla.) Big East/ACC #2 in 2012-13
Minnesota Big Ten #2 in 1996-97
Mississippi SEC #10 in 1997-98
Mississippi State SEC #3 in 1958-59
Nebraska Big Eight/Big 12/Big Ten #8 in 1965-66
Northwestern Big Ten #6 in 1958-59
Oregon Pac-12 #4 in 2016-17
Penn State Atlantic 10/Big Ten #9 in 1995-96 and 2019-20
Providence Big East #3 in 1961-62 and 1965-66
Rutgers Middle Atlantic/Atlantic 10/Big East/Big Ten #3 in 1975-76
Southern California Pac-12 #2 in 1970-71
Texas A&M SWC/Big 12/SEC #5 in 2015-16 and 2017-18
Texas Christian SWC/WAC/C-USA/Mountain West/Big 12 #11 in 2022-23
Texas Tech Border/SWC/Big 12 #6 in 2017-18
Utah Skyline/WAC/Mountain West/Pac-12 #2 in 1954-55 and 1996-97
Vanderbilt SEC #2 in 1965-66
Virginia Tech Southern/Metro/Atlantic 10/Big East/ACC #8 in 1995-96
Washington Pac-12 #2 in 1952-53
Washington State Pac-12 #4 in 2007-08
Xavier Midwestern Collegiate/Atlantic 10/Big East #3 in 2017-18

NOTE: AP rankings included only top 10 from 1961-62 through 1967-68 and increased from 20 to 25 schools in 1989-90.