Virgin Territory: Auburn Achieves National #1 Ranking First Time in History

January 24th, 2022 - 13:54

A total of 32 current power-conference members are left failing to secure national #1 acclaim in their history after Auburn achieved the feat. Purdue ascended to #1 for first time earlier this season although the Boilermakers' reign didn't last long 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 aforementioned 32 power-league institutions never placing among the Top 10 at some juncture is Texas Christian (best ranking is 12th during 1951-52 campaign). Auburn secured a #2 ranking in four seasons (1958-59, 1998-99, 1999-00 and earlier this campaign) before reaching the pinnacle. The segregation-shackled Tigers might have reached the ratings summit 50 years ago if they had successfully recruited in-state products Artis Gilmore, Travis Grant and Bud Stallworth. Eleven of the following power-league members have been national bridesmaid (with Maryland settling in 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 #12 in 1951-52
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.