KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the 61st consecutive week, including the third in a row to begin the 2025-26 season, the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is in the top 20 of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, as announced Monday afternoon.
Tennessee (3-0) is once again in the top 20 of both the AP Poll and, as also released Monday, the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The Volunteers held steady at No. 20 in the former and moved up one spot to No. 17 in the latter.
This is the 83rd release in a row with Tennessee in the AP top 25, a mark that extends back to the opening poll of the 2021-22 campaign. That tally is 46 higher than the prior program best of 37 weeks, which came from March 1999 to Feb. 2001.
Tennessee’s 83-week streak is the second-longest active figure in the nation, trailing only Houston (109). No other program is at even 65-plus weeks, while the nearest SEC institution is fifth-place Kentucky at 45 weeks, 38 shy of the Volunteers.
Rick Barnes, in his 11th season as the Tennessee head coach, has the team in the AP top 20 for the 78th time during the 83-week streak, with this the 61st consecutive such positioning.
Barnes has guided the Volunteers to a total of 137 total AP top-25 rankings in his 11-year tenure, all since 2017-18.
Tennessee won its lone contest last week, claiming a 99-66 triumph Wednesday night against North Florida at Food City Center. Redshirt sophomore J.P. Estrella led the way with a career-best 23 points on 11-of-14 field-goal shooting, adding 10 rebounds to log his second straight double-double.
In the AP Poll voting, Tennessee collected 416 points, just seven shy of No. 19 UCLA. It received 304 points in the Coaches Poll balloting, a 22-point jump from last week.
There are five SEC teams ranked in the top 25 of both polls, with Tennessee joining No. 10/9 Florida, No. 11 Alabama, No. 12/13 Kentucky and No. 21/22 Arkansas. Meanwhile, Auburn is No. 22 in the AP Poll and Vanderbilt is No. 24 in the Coaches Poll, while Missouri and Ole Miss are in the receiving votes section of both lists.
The Volunteers continue competition Monday at 8:30 p.m. when they host Rice at Food City Center, live on SEC Network.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
