LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tennessee continued its perfect start to the season and is No. 1 for the second straight week in the 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Lady Vols (14-0) collected all but three first-place votes and 768 points after a 4-0 showing at UAB’s Green and Gold Classic.
Tennessee continued to roll both in the circle and at the plate, outscoring the opposition 113-5 in its first 14 contests. This past weekend Lady Vol pitchers twirled three more shutouts, bringing their season total to nine, and allowed just one run and seven hits over the course of four games. Sage Mardjetko tossed her first career no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and one walk in a five-inning win over Southern Illinois. The bats produced 37 runs with 43 base hits and seven long balls.
No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Florida remained in their respective spots for another week going a combined 17-0. The Red Raiders (16-1) and the Longhorns (14-1) both went 5-0 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and DeMarini Invitational (Stanford), respectively. Texas Tech posted three shutouts, while Texas is riding a 12-game winning streak after it posted a pair of 12-2 wins over then-No. 15 Arizona and a 4-3 triumph over the host and then-No. 12 Cardinal, 4-3.
The Gators (19-0), off to their best start since 2016, topped then-RV North Florida in a home-and-home before dominating the Gator Classic with four run-rule wins and three shutouts.
New to the top five is the third undefeated team in the top 5, Alabama. The Crimson Tide (13-0) went 5-0 last week, which included two wins in Tallahassee, Fla. against then-No. 6 Florida State. The Seminoles (12-4) dipped four positions to No. 10.
Oklahoma dropped a spot to No. 6 following a 5-1 outing at the Mary Nutter, while No. 7 Arkansas ran its win streak to 11 games, opening its home campaign with three victories over Northwestern and two against Southeast Missouri State.
Moving up one spot apiece, No. 8 UCLA and No. 9 Nebraska turned in solid weekends in Cathedral City, going a combined 11-0. The Bruins (13-3) knocked off then No. 11 Texas A&M, then-No. 13 South Carolina and then-No. 20 Duke, along with a 23-1 victory over RV Auburn.
The Huskers (11-4) also defeated the Aggies and Gamecocks and registered three shutouts against Hawaii, Seattle and Cal.
Making a significant jump in the poll is No 11 Virginia Tech. The Hokies (11-2) improved six spots after two 9-3 wins at then-No. 16 Georgia during a 4-0 weekend at the Georgia Classic.
Grand Canyon is the fourth undefeated program in the top 25. The Lopes have rattled off 16 wins to start 2026 and come in at No. 22. It is three positions higher than last year’s No. 25 ranking, the first in program history.
Dropping out this week is then-No. 25 Ole Miss (11-5).
The 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 31 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Records reflect games played through Feb. 22.
2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll
2/24/26 (Week 3)
|
Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
Record |
Prev. Ranking |
|
1 |
Tennessee (28) |
768 |
14-0 |
1 |
|
2 |
Texas Tech (2) |
740 |
16-1 |
2 |
|
3 |
Texas (1) |
716 |
14-1 |
3 |
|
4 |
Florida |
680 |
19-0 |
4 |
|
5 |
Alabama |
619 |
13-0 |
8 |
|
6 |
Oklahoma |
605 |
13-2 |
5 |
|
7 |
Arkansas |
591 |
13-1 |
7 |
|
8 |
UCLA |
548 |
13-3 |
9 |
|
9 |
Nebraska |
537 |
11-4 |
10 |
|
10 |
Florida State |
502 |
12-4 |
6 |
|
11 |
Virginia Tech |
401 |
11-2 |
17 |
|
12 |
Mississippi State |
396 |
14-1 |
14 |
|
13 |
Texas A&M |
334 |
10-6 |
11 |
|
14 |
Arizona |
318 |
12-5 |
15 |
|
15 |
Georgia |
316 |
13-4 |
16 |
|
16 |
Stanford |
313 |
10-4 |
12 |
|
17 |
LSU |
266 |
12-4 |
19 |
|
18 |
Virginia |
259 |
12-1 |
21 |
|
19 |
South Carolina |
244 |
9-5 |
13 |
|
20 |
Oregon |
224 |
8-6 |
18 |
|
21 |
Oklahoma State |
197 |
11-4 |
24 |
|
22 |
Grand Canyon |
107 |
16-0 |
RV |
|
23 |
Duke |
104 |
9-7 |
20 |
|
24 |
Arizona State |
99 |
13-3 |
22 |
|
25 |
Clemson |
52 |
10-5 |
23 |
Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana (32), Michigan (25), Ole Miss (16), UCF (16), Omaha (15), Florida Atlantic (10), Auburn (7), Charlotte (7), North Carolina (5), Penn State (5), Loyola Marymount (1).
New to Poll: No. 22 Grand Canyon
Dropped Out: No. 25 Ole Miss
The 2026 NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by 31 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the NCAA’s Division I Conferences. Poll will be released on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. ET during the regular season. Records reflect games played through Feb. 22, 2026.
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