The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Final 2016 records are shown with first-votes in parentheses.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma (32) | 57-8 | 800 | 3 |
| 2 | Auburn | 58-12 | 767 | 5 |
| 3 | LSU | 52-18 | 709 | 10 |
| 4 | Florida State | 55-10 | 699 | 7 |
| 5 | Michigan | 52-7 | 680 | 2 |
| 6 | Alabama | 51-14 | 625 | 6 |
| 7 | Georgia | 46-20 | 607 | 15 |
| 8 | Florida | 56-7 | 580 | 1 |
| 9 | UCLA | 40-16-1 | 553 | 14 |
| 10 | Oregon | 48-10 | 507 | 4 |
| 11 | James Madison | 50-6 | 489 | 8 |
| 12 | Louisiana | 46-9 | 441 | 9 |
| 13 | Washington | 39-15 | 409 | 12 |
| 14 | Arizona | 40-21 | 381 | 18 |
| 15 | Missouri | 42-16 | 368 | 17 |
| 16 | Utah | 36-21 | 313 | 25 |
| 17 | Tennessee | 43-16 | 267 | 11 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 46-14 | 243 | 13 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 39-20 | 210 | 16 |
| 20 | Minnesota | 43-14 | 195 | 19 |
| 21 | Baylor | 45-14 | 173 | 21 |
| 22 | Fresno State | 42-12-1 | 20 | |
| 23 | Notre Dame | 43-13 | 93 | 23 |
| 24 | Florida Atlantic | 51-9 | 62 | 22 |
| 25 | USF | 45-16 | 43 | 24 |
UCF (23), Cal State Fullerton (15), Ole Miss (15), South Carolina (13), Jacksonville State (5), California (4), Oregon State (3), Oklahoma State (2), McNeese State (1).
None.