Michigan has officially cemented its place at the pinnacle of college basketball, finishing the 2025-26 season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. This historic ranking comes on the heels of the Wolverines' thrilling 69-63 victory over UConn in Monday night's national championship game, a win that ended a 37-year title drought for the program.

The championship run capped the winningest season in Michigan history, with the team finishing 37-3. Their dominance was reflected in the poll, where they claimed all 57 first-place votes. This marks the third consecutive year the AP has released a post-tournament poll, and Michigan's wire-to-wire consistency—never ranking lower than fourth after November—made them a deserving final No. 1.

UConn, the national runner-up, finished second in the poll, making a five-spot leap after their impressive tournament run. They are followed by Arizona, Duke, and Illinois, with the Fighting Illini surging eight spots to round out the top five after their own Final Four appearance. The rest of the top ten includes Purdue, Houston, Iowa State, Florida, and St. John's.

The final rankings also highlight the magic of March, with several teams making dramatic climbs. Iowa and Texas, both unranked heading into the tournament, finished at No. 15 and No. 22, respectively. The Hawkeyes' Elite Eight run featured a stunning upset of defending champion Florida, while Texas fought its way from the First Four all the way to the Sweet 16.

For the Big Ten conference, Michigan's triumph is especially sweet, bringing the league its first national championship since 2000. As the confetti settles in Indianapolis, the Wolverines' unforgettable season is now forever enshrined at the top of the college basketball world.