Northwestern 2026 AP Poll Ranking History

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2026 AP Football Poll

Northwestern · Week 8

Ranked in 3 of 9 published polls this season. Season high: #20.

Latest poll: October 25, 2026

Coverage: 2026-08-17 – 2026-10-25

AP Result

#20

Up 4 spots

Compared with Week 7

Voter Support

Of the 70 available ballots, 70 ranked Northwestern and 0 left the team unranked.

Ranked Northwestern: 70
Left unranked: 0

70 of 70 voters · 100%0 of 70 voters · 0%

Highest Vote: #11
Lowest Ranked Vote: #24

2026 Games & Scores

Full Schedule & Results →

Upcoming matchups and recent results, with game statistics and AP voter context.

Weekly Rankings and Votes

Select a week to explore every voter’s ranking.

Northwestern 2026 AP Poll History
Poll	Published	AP Rank	Points	Ranked By	Full Poll
Preseason	2026-08-17	NR	0	0 / 69	AP Top 25 →
Week 1	2026-09-08	NR	0	0 / 69	AP Top 25 →
Week 2	2026-09-13	NR	0	0 / 68	AP Top 25 →
Week 3	2026-09-20	NR	0	0 / 69	AP Top 25 →
Week 4	2026-09-27	NR	1	1 / 70	AP Top 25 →
Week 5	2026-10-04	NR	59	21 / 70	AP Top 25 →
Week 6	2026-10-11	#25	112	30 / 70	AP Top 25 →
Week 7	2026-10-18	#24	254	64 / 70	AP Top 25 →
Week 8	2026-10-25	#20	422	70 / 70	AP Top 25 →

This summary covers the available polls, which may not include every week of the season.

The Bigger Picture · Football

Where Northwestern Finished

Final AP rankings after the postseason. Coverage: 1989 through 2025.

Meet the School ↓

Football · Conference Titles

8 Big Ten Championships

1903*
1926*
1930*
1931*
1936
1995
1996*
2000*

* Shared conference title

Explore Big Ten Conference →

Sources & References

Northwestern · Big Ten championship history ↗

Top 25 Finishes: 7 / 37 seasons
Top 10 Finishes: 2 / 37 seasons
Best Final Ranking: #8
Last Ranked Finish: #10 in 2020

Summary covers 1989 through 2025.

Season by Season

Showing 2016 to 2025 · 10 seasons

Higher bars mean a higher finish. NR = Not Ranked in the final Top 25, including teams receiving votes. Gold marks a school-recognized FBS / major-college national championship; an AP No. 1 finish alone is not treated as a championship.

View Every Final Ranking (1989–2025)

Northwestern · Final AP Football Rankings
Year	Final AP Result	Source
2025	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2024	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2023	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2022	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2021	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2020	#10	Source ↗
2019	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2018	#21	Source ↗
2017	#17	Source ↗
2016	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2015	#23	Source ↗
2014	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2013	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2012	#17	Source ↗
2011	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2010	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2009	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2008	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2007	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2006	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2005	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2004	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2003	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2002	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2001	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
2000	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1999	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1998	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1997	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1996	#15	Source ↗
1995	#8	Source ↗
1994	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1993	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1992	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1991	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1990	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗
1989	Not Ranked (NR)	Source ↗

Sources & References

Beyond the Ballot

Meet Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a private research university established in 1851. Its Evanston campus on Lake Michigan is home to the Wildcats; the university also has campuses in Chicago and Doha.

Location: Evanston, Illinois
University Type: Private · Research
Founded: 1851
Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,889Fall 2025 · Undergraduate students only
Nickname: Northwestern Wildcats
Football Conference: Big Ten ConferenceCurrent affiliation · 2026
Football Big Ten Championships: 81903 · 1926 · 1930 · 1931 · 1936 · 1995 · 1996 · 2000

Sources & References

University Hall · 2008. Display images resized and converted to WebP.Photo: Madcoverboy at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0