1996 NCAA Division I softball rankings

1996 NCAA Division I softball season

Preseason No. 1| UCLA
Defending Champions| UCLA
Tournament
Most conference bids| Pac-10, Big 12 (4)
Women's College World Series
Champions| Arizona (4th title)
Runners-up| Washington (1st WCWS Appearance)
Winning Coach| Mike Candrea (4th title)
WCWS MOP| Jenny Dalton (Arizona)
Seasons

← 1995

1997 →

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

[edit]

|  | Increase in ranking

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|  | 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

[edit]

| Week 1[1]
Feb 28| Week 2[2]
Mar 6| Week 3[3]
Mar 13| Week 4[4]
Mar 20| Week 5[5]
Mar 27| Week 6[6]
Apr 2| Week 7[7]
Apr 10| Week 8[8]
Apr 17| Week 9[9]
Apr 24| Week 10[10]
May 1| Week 11[11]
May 7| Week 12[12]
May 28|

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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[1]
Feb 28| Week 2[2]
Mar 6| Week 3[3]
Mar 13| Week 4[4]
Mar 20| Week 5[5]
Mar 27| Week 6[6]
Apr 2| Week 7[7]
Apr 10| Week 8[8]
Apr 17| Week 9[9]
Apr 24| Week 10[10]
May 1| Week 11[11]
May 7| Week 12[12]
May 28|
| Dropped:

* No. 22 Missouri
* No. 24 Iowa
* No. 25 UTSA

| Dropped:

* No. 21 Oklahoma State
* No. 21 Kansas
* No. 23 Sacramento State
* No. 24 Cal Poly

| Dropped:
No. 24 Notre Dame| Dropped:

* No. 23 Utah
* No. 24 Pacific

| Dropped:

* No. 14 Cal Poly
* No. 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 UIC
* No. 25 Hawaii

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1996 Week 1 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
2. ^ "1996 Week 2 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
3. ^ "1996 Week 3 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
4. ^ "1996 Week 4 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
5. ^ "1996 Week 5 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
6. ^ "1996 Week 6 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
7. ^ "1996 Week 7 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
8. ^ "1996 Week 8 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
9. ^ "1996 Week 9 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
10. ^ "1996 Week 10 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
11. ^ "1996 Week 11 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
12. ^ "1996 Week 12 Rankings". NFCA. Retrieved June 24, 2021.

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