Much like the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, Alabama football is a borderline College Football Playoff team according to the first Associated Press poll of the 2026 season.
The 2026 preseason AP poll has Alabama as the No. 13 team in the country. The Crimson Tide did not earn a first place vote. Alabama is outside the top 10 for the first time since 2008.
Alabama is one of nine SEC teams to appear in the preseason AP poll, joining Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee and Missouri. Florida, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Auburn each received votes.
Alabama, which started 2025 as the No. 8 team in the country, finished the season at No. 9 after falling to eventual CFP national champion Indiana in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl and finishing 11-4.
Alabama is No. 11 in the 2026 preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.
Alabama will open the 2026 season against East Carolina. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5 on ABC.
2026 AP Poll: Preseason
- Ohio State (40)
- Oregon (14)
- Georgia
- Notre Dame (6)
- Texas
- Indiana (8)
- Miami (1)
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- BYU
- USC
- Michigan
- Washington
- Penn State
- SMU
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Iowa
- Houston
- Louisville
- Missouri
Others receiving votes
Clemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, Louisiana 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Where Alabama football landed in another major 2026 preseason poll