Can you list the schools that have never...

[Bull Matrix]

been ranked in the TOP 25 in either football or mens' basketball??? I know USF has never been ranked as well as UCF, but can you name any other Div 1 schools that have never been ranked in their history? Like I said before, I am going to through a big party if USF ever gets into the top 25 in either mens' basketball or football. I believe there is now a better chance at this happening because of the BIG EAST invite. USF will be playing against more ranked teams. If we beat them then we will get more respect and votes IMO.

[Bishop of Bulltown]

didn't we finish at 25th a few years back during marquell's senior season?? I think we finished 9-2 or something and beat a week-removed-from undefeated bowling green near the end of the season. I remember because I was on the field.  8)

[Brad]

Actually, as I recall, we finished #22 in the BCS rankings - not the polls.  As a matter of fact, that year we were the highest ever BCS ranked team NOT to go to a bowl.  I'll see if I can dig up doco, but that is how I remember it.  A 9-2 season wasted.

[Markeymark]

Not wasted - it showed we are a player at the I-A level. It helped propel us out of the CUSA doldrums into a BCS conference.

Honestly, I would rather see us in I-AA then to be stuck in CUSA purgatory...at least you can play for a national title in I-AA and bring some excitement to campus. The best thing CUSA can hope for is the Liberty Bowl.  :

[GarySJ]

This can be found out.

The NCAA Basketball Record Book lists week-by-week AP polls going back to the 1947-48 season.

The NCAA Football Record Book isn't so thorough, listing only week-by-week results for the most recent season (2003, since the 2005 record book isn't up yet). But I think 2cuz.com has week-by-week poll results.

It should be added that USF was ranked in the Top 25 as a Division I football school. I-AA is still Division I. If you're going to discount that, however, we can limit this discussion to schools that do or have played I-A football. A total of 150 played I-A football at some point between 1978 (when I-A and I-AA were created) and 2004. This does not include FAU or FIU, since neither is officially I-A yet.

I'll research this and post the answer.

[TexasHoldemFan]

I think the men's basektball team was ranked 20 something for a week in the late 80's.  

[GarySJ]

It's not in the NCAA record book. They only list the AP poll though.

Here's a list of every team that's played I-A football since 1978, along with the last time they were ranked in the basketball and football polls. I only had end-of-season football polls, and I don't have every-week hoops polls for this season, so the dates may be imperfect. Suffice it to say this is a thorough list of who's done it at least once:

[table]

[tr][td]SCHOOL[/td][td]HOOPS[/td][td]FB[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Air Force[/td][td]2004[/td][td]1998[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Akron[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Alabama[/td][td]2003[/td][td]2002[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]UAB[/td][td]1994[/td][td]2004?[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Arizona[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1998[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Arizona St.[/td][td]1995[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Arkansas[/td][td]2001[/td][td]1999[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Arkansas St.[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Army[/td][td]1971[/td][td]1996[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Auburn[/td][td]2003[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Ball St.[/td][td]2001[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Baylor[/td][td]1969[/td][td]1986[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Boise St.[/td][td]never[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Boston College[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Bowling Green[/td][td]1962[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Brigham Young[/td][td]1993[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Buffalo[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]California[/td][td]2003[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]UCF[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Central Mich.[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Cincinnati[/td][td]2005[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Clemson[/td][td]1999[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Colorado[/td][td]1997[/td][td]2002[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Colorado St.[/td][td]1954[/td][td]2000[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Connecticut[/td][td]2005[/td][td]never?[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Duke[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1962[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]East Caro.[/td][td]never[/td][td]1995[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Eastern Mich.[/td][td]1996[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Florida[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Florida St.[/td][td]1998[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Fresno St.[/td][td]2001[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Georgia[/td][td]2003[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Georgia Tech[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Hawaii[/td][td]2002[/td][td]1992[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Houston[/td][td]1993[/td][td]1990[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Idaho[/td][td]1983[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Illinois[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Indiana[/td][td]2004[/td][td]1988[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Iowa[/td][td]2003[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Iowa St.[/td][td]2001[/td][td]2000[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Kansas[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1992[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Kansas St.[/td][td]1993[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Kent St.[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Kentucky[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1984[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]La.-Lafayette[/td][td]1981[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]La.-Monroe[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]LSU[/td][td]2004[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Louisiana Tech[/td][td]1985[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Louisville[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Marshall[/td][td]1972[/td][td]2002[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Maryland[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Memphis[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1963[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Miami (Fla.)[/td][td]2002[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Miami (Ohio)[/td][td]1999[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Michigan[/td][td]1998[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Michigan St.[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1999[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Middle Tenn.[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Minnesota[/td][td]1999[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Mississippi[/td][td]2001[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Mississippi St.[/td][td]2004[/td][td]2000[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Missouri[/td][td]2003[/td][td]1998[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Navy[/td][td]1987[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Nebraska[/td][td]1994[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]UNLV[/td][td]1993[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Nevada[/td][td]2005[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]New Mexico[/td][td]1999[/td][td]1964[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]New Mexico St.[/td][td]1995[/td][td]1960[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]North Carolina[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1997[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]North Carolina St.[/td][td]2004[/td][td]2002[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]North Texas[/td][td]1976[/td][td]1977[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Northern Ill.[/td][td]1972[/td][td]2003?[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Northwestern[/td][td]1968[/td][td]1996[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Notre Dame[/td][td]2003[/td][td]2002[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Ohio[/td][td]1994[/td][td]1968[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Ohio St.[/td][td]2002[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Oklahoma[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Oklahoma St.[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Oregon[/td][td]2003[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Oregon St.[/td][td]1990[/td][td]2000[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Penn St.[/td][td]1996[/td][td]2002[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Pittsburgh[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Purdue[/td][td]2004[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Rice[/td][td]1957[/td][td]1961[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Rutgers[/td][td]1979[/td][td]1976[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]San Diego St.[/td][td]never[/td][td]1977[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]San Jose St.[/td][td]1950[/td][td]1990[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]South Carolina[/td][td]1998[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]South Fla.[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Southern Calif.[/td][td]2002[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Southern Methodist[/td][td]1985[/td][td]1984[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Southern Miss.[/td][td]1991[/td][td]1999[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Stanford[/td][td]2004[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Syracuse[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Temple[/td][td]2001[/td][td]1979[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Tennessee[/td][td]2001[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Texas[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Texas A&M[/td][td]1979[/td][td]1999[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]TCU[/td][td]1999[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]UTEP[/td][td]1992[/td][td]never?[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Texas Tech[/td][td]2004[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Toledo[/td][td]1979[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Troy St.[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Tulane[/td][td]1993[/td][td]1998[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Tulsa[/td][td]2002[/td][td]1991[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]UCLA[/td][td]2002[/td][td]1998[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Utah[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Utah St.[/td][td]2004[/td][td]1972[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Vanderbilt[/td][td]2003[/td][td]1948[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Virginia[/td][td]2002[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Virginia Tech[/td][td]1996[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Wake Forest[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1992[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Washington[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2001[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Washington St.[/td][td]1983[/td][td]2003[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]West Virginia[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Western Mich.[/td][td]1976[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Wisconsin[/td][td]2005[/td][td]2004[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Wyoming[/td][td]1988[/td][td]1996[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Appalachian St. 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Brown 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Cal St. Fullerton 1978-92[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Chattanooga 1978-81[/td][td]1983[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Citadel 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Colgate 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Columbia 1978-81[/td][td]1970[/td][td]1947[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Cornell 1978-81[/td][td]1950[/td][td]1950[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Dartmouth 1978-81[/td][td]1958[/td][td]1970[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Drake 1978-80[/td][td]1975[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]East Tenn. St. 1978-81[/td][td]1991[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Furman 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Harvard 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Holy Cross 1978-81[/td][td]1977[/td][td]1951[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Illinois St. 1978-81[/td][td]1997[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Indiana St. 1978-81[/td][td]1979[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Lamar 1978-81[/td][td]1981[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Long Beach St. 1978-91[/td][td]1992[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]McNeese St. 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Pacific 1978-95[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1949[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Pennsylvania 1978-81[/td][td]1994[/td][td]1947[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Princeton 1978-81[/td][td]1998[/td][td]1964[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Richmond 1978-81[/td][td]1985?[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Southern Ill. 1978-81[/td][td]2004[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Tennessee St. 1978-80[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Texas-Arlington 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Villanova 1978-80[/td][td]2005[/td][td]1949[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]VMI 1978-81[/td][td]1977[/td][td]1957[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]West Tex. A&M 1978-80[/td][td]1975[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Western Caro. 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Wichita St. 1978-86[/td][td]1983?[/td][td]never[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]William & Mary 1978-81[/td][td]never[/td][td]1948[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Yale 1978-81[/td][td]1949[/td][td]1960[/td][/tr]

[/table]

So it would appear the answers to the question are: Akron, Arkansas State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, UCF, Kent State, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee, USF, Troy State, and a bunch of schools that were only in I-A for a short time.

Interestingly, two schools have broken this jinx in the past week or two: Pacific and Nevada recently earned their first-ever place in the basketball polls.

[Bull Matrix]

Thanks Gary for that good research. Pretty interesting stuff right there. I have a feeling that USF will get ranked in one of these sports during the next few years. The celebration will be great with the champagne and cigars.