Image Credit: Maddie Washburn, UAA

The reigning national champion Florida Gators begin the 2025-26 college basketball season with the greatest expectations surrounding the program in two decades. That was solidified Monday when the Preseason AP Top 25 was announced with Florida holding its highest ranking in a season’s first edition of the poll in 19 years.

The Gators checked in No. 3 in the Preseason AP Top 25, receiving eight first-place votes. Ahead of them are only Purdue and Houston, the latter being the team Florida defeated to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

While the Gators starting five has changed dramatically with all three of their starting guards having graduated, they are returning all other key contributors from the national title-winning team while head coach Todd Golden added significant reinforcements through the transfer portal and recruiting cycle.

The No. 3 projection marks Florida’s second-highest highest preseason ranking in the history of the AP Top 25, the highest since 2007 when it entered coming off the first national championship in program history. Since then, the Gators have not been ranked higher than No. 6 in a preseason poll (2020).

Florida will open the campaign on Monday, Nov. 3 when it faces No. 13 Arizona in the 2025 Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas. UF will also play No. 4 UConn, No. 6 Duke, No. 9 Kentucky (twice), No. 14 Arkansas, No. 15 Alabama, No. 18 Tennessee and No. 20 Auburn, giving it eight games against preseason top 25 opponents.

Earlier Monday, the Gators were projected by media covering the SEC to win the league in 2026. Junior forward Alex Condon was selected to the Preseason All-SEC first team, while junior F Thomas Haugh and sophomore transfer guard Boogie Fland (Arkansas) were chosen to the second team.

Preseason AP Top 25

1. Purdue (35)
2. Houston (16)
3. Florida (8)
4. UConn (2)
5. St. John’s
6. Duke
7. Michigan
8. BYU
9. Kentucky
10. Texas Tech
11. Louisville
12. UCLA
13. Arizona
14. Arkansas
15. Alabama
16. Iowa State
17. Illinois
18. Tennessee
19. Kansas
20. Auburn
21. Gonzaga
22. Michigan State
23. Creighton
24. Wisconsin
25. North Carolina