# 1985–86 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings

Two human polls comprise the 1985–86 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 | 12-Nov | 1-Dec | 8-Dec | 15-Dec | 22-Dec | 29-Dec | 5-Jan | 12-Jan | 19-Jan | 26-Jan | 2-Feb | 9-Feb | 16-Feb | 23-Feb | 2-Mar | 9-Mar |
| Texas | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Georgia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| USC | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| La. Tech | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| WKU | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Virginia | 18 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Auburn | 8 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| LB State | 11 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| LSU | 19 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Rutgers | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Ole Miss | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Ohio State | 10 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| Penn State | 13 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
| Iowa | 14 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| Tennessee | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| UNC | 17 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
| JMU | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 18 | T18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
| Southern Ill. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 |
| Oklahoma | – | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 19 |
| Vanderbilt | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 |
| Duke | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | T18 | – | – | – |
| Houston | – | – | – | 19 | 17 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Idaho | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| La.-Monroe | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| NC State | 15 | 20 | 20 | – | 20 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Northwestern | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ODU | 5 | 13 | 17 | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Providence | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 20 | – |
| St. Joseph's | T20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| St. Peter's | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | – |
| San Diego St | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| UNLV | T20 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |

## USA Today Coaches poll

Source
| Team | PS | 3-Dec | 10-Dec | 17-Dec | 24-Dec | 31-Dec | 7-Jan | 14-Jan | 21-Jan | 28-Jan | 4-Feb | 11-Feb | 18-Feb | 25-Feb | 4-Mar | 11-Mar | 18-Mar |
| Texas | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Southern California | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Western Kentucky | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Georgia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Tennessee | 11 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 5 |
| Ole Miss | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 6 |
| Louisiana Tech | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| LSU | 18 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Auburn | 8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| Rutgers | – | 24 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 10 |
| Louisiana-Monroe | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 11 |
| Long Beach State | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Penn State | 13 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 |
| Virginia | 16 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| North Carolina | 17 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 |
| James Madison | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 16 |
| Ohio State | 10 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 17 |
| Oklahoma | 23 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
| Iowa | 14 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 19 |
| Montana | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 25 | 20 |
| Texas Tech | 20 | 23 | 24 | 24 | – | – | 24 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 21 |
| Southern Illinois | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 22 |
| Drake | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 |
| Saint Joseph's | 21 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 19 | T23 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 24 |
| Vanderbilt | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 24 | – | – | 19 | 20 | 25 |
| Duke | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 25 | – | 21 | 25 | – | – | – |
| Houston | 24 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kansas State | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kentucky | – | 21 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | T23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maryland | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | – |
| NC State | 15 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 23 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ohio | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 24 | – | – | – |
| Old Dominion | 5 | 12 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 21 | – | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Saint Peter's | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 25 | – | – |
| San Diego State | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| UCLA | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| UNLV | 22 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |