# 1996 NCAA Division I softball rankings

The following human polls make up the 1996 NCAA Division I women's softball rankings. The NFCA/USA Today Poll is voted on by a panel of 32 Division I softball coaches and ranks to top 25 teams nationally.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| Italics | Number of first place votes |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## NFCA/USA Today

| | Week 1 Feb 28 | Week 2 Mar 6 | Week 3 Mar 13 | Week 4 Mar 20 | Week 5 Mar 27 | Week 6 Apr 2 | Week 7 Apr 10 | Week 8 Apr 17 | Week 9 Apr 24 | Week 10 May 1 | Week 11 May 7 | Week 12 May 28 | |
| 1. | UCLA (14) | UCLA (9) (12–2) | UCLA (13) (20–2) | Arizona (8) (21–2) | Arizona (16) (27–3) | Arizona (19) (30–4) | Arizona (20) (34–4) | Arizona (20) (38–4) | Washington (19) (40–7) | Washington (20) (44–7) | Washington (20) (49–7) | Arizona (20) (58–9) | 1. |
| 2. | Arizona (3) | Washington (6) (16–1) | Arizona (5) (21–2) | Washington (7) (23–1) | UCLA (4) (25–3) | Washington (1) (33–6) | Washington (34–7) | Washington (38–7) | Arizona (1) (39–7) | Arizona (43–9) | Arizona (47–9) | Washington (59–9) | 2. |
| 3. | Fresno State | Arizona (5) (14–2) | Washington (2) (16–1) | UCLA (5) (21–3) | Washington (28–5) | UCLA (27–5) | UCLA (28–6) | Fresno State (36–6) | Fresno State (39–7) | Fresno State (43–7) | Fresno State (47–9) | UCLA (47–11) | 3. |
| 4. | Washington (2) | Fresno State (4–2) | Fresno State (10–3) | Fresno State (15–4) | Cal State Northridge (26–6) | Fresno State (26–6) | Fresno State (30–6) | UCLA (28–8) | UCLA (30–8) | UCLA (36–8) | UCLA (40–8) | Iowa (49–19) | 4. |
| 5. | Cal State Fullerton | Cal State Northridge (13–4) | Cal State Fullerton (16–6) | Cal State Northridge (21–4) | Cal State Fullerton (25–10) | Cal State Northridge (26–6) | Cal State Northridge (28–8) | Cal State Northridge (30–9) | Southwestern Louisiana (39–7) | Southwestern Louisiana (42–8) | Southwestern Louisiana (42–8) | Southwestern Louisiana (46–10) | 5. |
| 6. | Southwestern Louisiana (1) | Cal State Fullerton (13–5) | Cal State Northridge (15–4) | UNLV (19–6) | Fresno State (18–6) | UNLV (24–9) | Southwestern Louisiana (31–7) | Southwestern Louisiana (35–7) | Cal State Northridge (34–11) | Cal State Northridge (38–12) | Cal State Northridge (41–13) | California (41–23) | 6. |
| 7. | UNLV | UNLV (12–5) | UNLV (17–6) | Cal State Fullerton (21–10) | UNLV (22–9) | South Carolina (26–5) | Cal State Fullerton (32–15) | South Carolina (32–8) | South Carolina (35–9) | South Carolina (35–9) | Michigan (43–12) | Michigan (51–14) | 7. |
| 8. | Cal State Northridge | South Carolina (12–1) | South Carolina (18–2) | South Carolina (20–2) | South Carolina (22–5) | Cal State Fullerton (28–13) | South Carolina (26–7) | Michigan (34–10) | Michigan (38–11) | UNLV (35–18) | South Carolina (36–10) | Fresno State (51–11) | 8. |
| 9. | Oklahoma | Nebraska (12–3) | Florida State (22–9) | Southwestern Louisiana (22–5) | Southwestern Louisiana (25–7) | Southwestern Louisiana (27–7) | UNLV (25–14) | Cal State Fullerton (34–17) | Cal State Fullerton (37–20) | Michigan (41–11) | Oklahoma (45–18) | Cal State Fullerton (40–27) | 9. |
| 10. | California | Oklahoma (15–7) | Southwestern Louisiana (15–4) | Michigan (16–7) | California (22–10) | Michigan (23–9) | Michigan (28–9) | Oklahoma (34–16) | UNLV (33–18) | Oklahoma (42–18) | UNLV (36–21) | South Carolina (38–13) | 10. |
| 11. | Nebraska | California (7–4) | Nebraska (12–3) | California (16–7) | Michigan (21–8) | California (24–12) | Oklahoma (30–15) | UNLV (30–17) | Oklahoma (38–17) | California (34–18) | California (36–20) | Cal State Northridge (43–16) | 11. |
| 12. | Michigan | Southwestern Louisiana (8–4) | Texas A&M (20–6) | Oklahoma (22–10) | Oklahoma (24–13) | Texas A&M (23–7) | California (27–15) | California (29–17) | California (31–17) | Cal State Fullerton (37–24) | South Florida (40–10) | Oklahoma (50–20) | 12. |
| 13. | Florida State | Florida State (13–7) | California (10–5) | Texas A&M (20–6) | Texas A&M (22–6) | Oklahoma (26–14) | Minnesota (27–6) | Minnesota (31–7) | Iowa (36–12) | Iowa (40–13) | Minnesota (42–14) | Florida State (47–21) | 13. |
| 14. | South Carolina т | Michigan (4–3) | Oklahoma (18–10) | Florida State (25–13) | Florida State (30–14) | Florida State (32–14) | Florida State (37–14) | Nebraska (29–13) | Nebraska (31–15) | Minnesota (40–10) | Iowa (43–15) | Princeton (47–8–1) | 14. |
| 15. | Texas A&M т | Minnesota (18–3) | Michigan (9–6) | Nebraska (16–6) | Minnesota (22–6) | Minnesota (24–6) | Iowa (27–10) | Iowa (30–12) | Minnesota (34–9) | South Florida (39–9) | Cal State Fullerton (39–26) | Oklahoma State (37–20) | 15. |
| 16. | Minnesota | Texas A&M (15–5) | Minnesota (18–3) | Iowa (12–4) | Iowa (19–8) | Iowa (22–10) | Texas A&M (25–10) | South Florida (38–9) | Texas A&M (33–12) | Oklahoma State (33–15) | Florida State (48–19) | South Florida (41–12) | 16. |
| 17. | Kansas | Indiana (7–4) | Indiana (12–6) | Minnesota (18–3) | Nebraska (22–11) | Nebraska (22–11) | South Florida (36–9) | Florida State (41–17) | Florida State (44–17) | Florida State (44–17) | Oklahoma State (33–15) | Nebraska (41–23) | 17. |
| 18. | Cal Poly | UIC (8–2) | Hawaii (15–6) | South Florida (25–7) | South Florida (30–9) | South Florida (32–9) | Nebraska (25–12) | Texas A&M (28–12) | South Florida (39–9) | Nebraska (35–18) | Nebraska (37–18) | UNLV (36–23) | 18. |
| 19. | Sacramento State | Hawaii (15–6) | Iowa (8–4) | Indiana (19–9) | Hawaii (22–11) | Arizona State (21–12) | UIC (21–9) | Indiana (27–15) | Notre Dame (40–11) | Notre Dame (45–12) | Long Beach State (34–17) | Minnesota (44–18) | 19. |
| 20. | UIC | Pacific (7–1) | UIC (11–5) | Hawaii (20–11) | Arizona State (21–10) | Hawaii (26–15) | Arizona State (22–15) | UIC (29–9) | Indiana (30–17) | Texas A&M (35–15) | Notre Dame (48–14) | Long Beach State (36–22) | 20. |
| 21. | Oklahoma State т | Oklahoma State (6–4) | Pacific (9–3) | UIC (16–9) | Indiana (19–11) | UIC (17–9) | Notre Dame (29–10) | Notre Dame (34–11) | UIC (32–10) | UIC (37–11) | Texas A&M (38–18) | Texas A&M (39–21) | 21. |
| 22. | Missouri т | Kansas (11–5) | South Florida (17–3) | Arizona State (15–9) | UIC (16–9) | Indiana (19–13) | Indiana (23–14) | Long Beach State (27–16) | Oklahoma State (28–15) | Indiana (34–18) | UIC (39–11) | Nicholls State (46–19–1) | 22. |
| 23. | Hawaii | Sacramento State (9–9) | New Mexico State (17–13) | Utah (13–9) | Sacramento State (20–13) | Sacramento State (22–15) | Sacramento State (23–18) | Oklahoma State (25–13) | Sacramento State (29–19) | Long Beach State (31–16) | Indiana (36–19) | Indiana (37–24) | 23. |
| 24. | Iowa | Cal Poly (9–4) | Notre Dame (9–8) | Pacific (11–6) | Cal Poly (19–9) | Notre Dame (22–10) | Hawaii (27–18) | Arizona State (34–19) | Long Beach State (27–16) | Princeton (38–6–1) | Princeton (38–6–1) | Notre Dame (48–16) | 24. |
| 25. | UTSA | Utah (11–7) | Utah (11–7) | New Mexico State (22–16) | New Mexico State (23–17) | Oklahoma State (18–11) | Long Beach State (23–16) | Sacramento State (26–19) | UMass (30–10–1) | Sacramento State (30–22) | Hawaii (36–25) | Boston University (35–10) | 25. |
| | Week 1 Feb 28 | Week 2 Mar 6 | Week 3 Mar 13 | Week 4 Mar 20 | Week 5 Mar 27 | Week 6 Apr 2 | Week 7 Apr 10 | Week 8 Apr 17 | Week 9 Apr 24 | Week 10 May 1 | Week 11 May 7 | Week 12 May 28 | |
| | | Dropped: No. 22 MissouriNo. 24 IowaNo. 25 UTSA | Dropped: No. 21 Oklahoma StateNo. 21 KansasNo. 23 Sacramento StateNo. 24 Cal Poly | Dropped: No. 24 Notre Dame | Dropped: No. 23 UtahNo. 24 Pacific | Dropped: No. 14 Cal PolyNo. 25 New Mexico State | Dropped: No. 25 Oklahoma State | Dropped: No. 24 Hawaii | Dropped: No. 24 Arizona State | Dropped: No. 25 UMass | Dropped: No. 25 Cal State Sacramento | Dropped: No. 22 UICNo. 25 Hawaii | |