DENVER ? Fresno State was ranked in the top 25 in the USA Today/NFCA preseason poll. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 21 in the NFCA coaches' poll.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 37-19 season in which they won the WAC regular season title with a 12-3 mark, while advancing to the program's 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament.
Defending national champion Arizona earned 23 first-place votes to claim the top spot in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Preseason Poll. Seven Pac-10 teams were ranked in the poll, including six in the top 10. The SEC and Big 12 both placed five teams in the rankings.
This season, the WAC welcomes two new coaches with the hiring of Candi Letts at Utah State and Peter Turner at San Jose State. This is the second stint in the WAC for Letts who also coaches at Colorado State from 1994-1998.
USA Today/NFCA Top 25
Rank Team 2006 Rec. Pts.
1. Arizona (23) 54-11 737
2. Tennessee (7) 61-12 679
3. UCLA 50-9 648
4. Northwestern 50-15 647
5. Arizona State 53-15 594
6. Oregon State 43-16 579
7. Alabama 54-11 485
8. Stanford 42-18 481
9. LSU 55-14 471
10. California 48-14 436
11. Michigan 44-15 400
12. Washington 35-25 353
13. Texas A&M 34-19 323
14. Georgia 54-15 320
15. Nebraska 44-12 280
16. Oklahoma 40-21-1 274
17. Texas 55-9 273
18. Baylor 38-22 248
19. UL-Lafayette 50-12 235
20. Louisville 45-11 211
21. Fresno State 37-19 198
22. South Florida 50-25 181
23. Massachusetts 41-16 123
24. Auburn 36-22 84
25. Florida State 44-30 79