Nebraska Men's Basketball Misses Preseason Top 25
The Cornhuskers narrowly missed the AP and Coaches polls despite receiving significant voting support.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Basketball
Live Poll
Do you trust preseason polls to accurately predict how your local team will perform this year?
The Nebraska men's basketball team remains unranked in the preseason AP and USA Today Coaches polls. The Cornhuskers narrowly missed the Top 25 cut, coming in as the 27th team in the AP poll and 26th in the Coaches rankings.
Why it matters
Preseason rankings set the narrative for the early part of the season, and Nebraska's near-miss status reflects high external expectations for the program. The team was also recently picked to finish fifth in an informal poll of Big Ten media representatives.
Nebraska earned 70 points in the AP poll and 66 points in the Coaches poll, placing them just outside the Top 25. Five other Big Ten teams secured spots in the AP Top 25.
The players
Nebraska Men's Basketball
The NCAA Division I basketball team representing the University of Nebraska competes in the Big Ten Conference.
Kansas State
This university's basketball program competes in the Big 12 Conference and is scheduled for an exhibition match against Nebraska.
Le Moyne
This institution operates a Division I basketball program that will face Nebraska in their season opener.
The details
While Nebraska missed the national rankings, they continue to prepare for their upcoming schedule. The team is currently finalizing their lineup following preparations that began during the summer.
Timeline
Summer 2026: The team began preparing for the upcoming season.
October 26, 2026: Nebraska plays an exhibition game against Kansas State in Grand Island.
November 2, 2026: The regular-season opener against Le Moyne takes place at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Season Trajectory
Being positioned just outside the Top 25 places Nebraska in a position to quickly break into the rankings with early wins. Their fifth-place projection in the Big Ten suggests the team remains a significant factor in the conference's competitive landscape.
The Cornhuskers' narrow exclusion from the rankings puts additional pressure on the team to perform well during the non-conference schedule to secure a Top 25 spot. Fans should monitor the upcoming games against Kansas State and Le Moyne as indicators of the team's readiness for Big Ten competition.
The takeaway
Nebraska's close proximity to the Top 25 suggests that the team is on the verge of national relevance this season. Fans can look for early-season wins as a catalyst for breaking into the official rankings.
What happens next
Nebraska faces Kansas State in an exhibition game on October 26, 2026, followed by their regular-season opener against Le Moyne on November 2, 2026.
Further reading
Follow the latest team updates on the Nebraska Basketball page.
Live Poll
Do you trust preseason polls to accurately predict how your local team will perform this year?
