ORLANDO – Fresh off its statement series win over the then-No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowgirls to kick off Big 12 Conference play in 2026, the UCF softball team saw the national recognition follow.
The Knights, after entering the weekend’s action nationally ranked as high as 23rd and having appeared in three of the four major top 25 polls, have risen as high as No. 15 (Softball America) and are now ranked in all four polls for the first time this season.
Ranked No. 15 by Softball America, UCF also landed at No. 17 in D1Softball.com’s week five rankings, and jumped to No. 22 in both the NFCA/GoRout coaches and ESPN/USA Softball polls.
UCF's No. 15 national ranking is just two spots shy of the all-time high water mark for the program, behind the 2015 and 2022 Knights who climbed as high as No. 13 in the nation.
After receiving votes in each of ESPN/USA Softball’s first five rankings (including the preseason top 25), the Black and Gold appear within the poll’s top 25 programs for the first time since week one of the 2023 campaign.
Six other Big 12 programs outside of UCF saw representation in the week five national rankings, in Arizona (No. 12, ESPN/USA Softball), Arizona State (No. 25, NFCA/GoRout), Baylor (receiving votes, ESPN/USA Softball), Oklahoma State (No. 15, ESPN/USA Softball, D1Softball.com), Texas Tech (No. 2, NFCA/GoRout, ESPN/USA Softball), and Utah (No. 25, Softball America).
The four week five top 25 polls can be found below.
UP NEXT
The No. 15 UCF softball team is set for its Big 12 Conference home-opening series against the visiting Baylor Bears. First pitch for Friday’s series-opener is set for 6 p.m. from the UCF Softball Complex and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.