# 1986–87 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings

Two human polls comprise the 1986–87 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. The AP poll is currently a poll of sportswriters, while the USA Today Coaches' Poll is a poll of college coaches. The AP conducts polls weekly through the end of the regular season and conference play, while the Coaches poll conducts a final, post-NCAA tournament poll as well.

## Legend

| – | Not ranked |
| (#) | Ranking |

## AP Poll

Source
| Team | 18-Nov | 2-Dec | 9-Dec | 16-Dec | 23-Dec | 30-Dec | 6-Jan | 13-Jan | 20-Jan | 27-Jan | 3-Feb | 10-Feb | 17-Feb | 24-Feb | 3-Mar | 10-Mar |
| Texas | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Auburn | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Louisiana Tech | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Long Beach St. | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Rutgers | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Georgia | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Ole Miss | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Iowa | 8 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Ohio St. | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Virginia | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| James Madison | 19 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| North Carolina St. | – | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
| LSU | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Penn St. | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 15 |
| Southern Ill. | – | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| Villanova | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 |
| Vanderbilt | – | – | – | 19 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 18 |
| Southern California | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | – | – | 19 |
| Washington | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 20 |
| Illinois | – | – | 18 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maryland | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nebraska | – | – | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Old Dominion | 12 | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oregon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | – |
| Oregon St. | – | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| San Diego | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Texas Tech | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Western Ky. | 13 | 12 | 11 | 16 | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – |

## USA Today Coaches poll

Source
| Team | 24-Nov | 2-Dec | 9-Dec | 16-Dec | 23-Dec | 30-Dec | 6-Jan | 13-Jan | 20-Jan | 27-Jan | 3-Feb | 10-Feb | 17-Feb | 24-Feb | 3-Mar | 10-Mar | 17-Mar |
| Tennessee | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | T7 | 1 |
| Louisiana Tech | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Texas | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Long Beach St. | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Rutgers | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| Auburn | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Iowa | 9 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Ohio St. | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 |
| Georgia | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| Virginia | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Ole Miss | 16 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | T7 | 11 |
| North Carolina St. | – | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 12 |
| Southern Ill. | – | – | – | – | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 13 |
| Southern California | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 14 |
| James Madison | 18 | T17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 |
| Penn St. | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| Old Dominion | 8 | T17 | 24 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 |
| Washington | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | T23 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 18 |
| LSU | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 19 |
| Oregon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | T21 | 23 | 20 |
| Vanderbilt | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 18 | T21 | 18 | 21 |
| Villanova | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 22 |
| Western Ky. | 11 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 |
| Saint Joseph’s | 21 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 |
| Duke | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 |
| Fresno St. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | – | – | 24 | 21 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Illinois | – | – | 18 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | – | – | – | – |
| Kentucky | – | 25 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| La.-Monroe | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maryland | 17 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Missouri | 23 | 23 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Montana | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 25 | – |
| Nebraska | – | – | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| New Orleans | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 20 | 18 | 19 | – |
| North Carolina | 24 | – | – | – | 24 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oklahoma | – | – | – | – | 24 | 21 | 21 | 20 | T23 | 23 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oregon St. | – | – | 21 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| San Diego St. | 19 | 24 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| South Ala. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | – |
| Stanford | – | 21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Texas Tech | 20 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |