College basketball rankings: Florida earns No. 1 spot in preseason AP Top 25 poll ahead of Duke, Illinois
The Gators are the preseason No.
Illinois. The Gators: What Happened
CBS Sports reported on Monday, October 19, 2026 in a story involving Illinois. The Gators, College, Florida. Here is how the report opens:
The Gators are the preseason No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since 2006.
Photos: CBS Sports
It is one of many College Basketball stories we are following today. Below are the key takeaways, how the story is being reported across the sport, background on College basketball and what to watch next.
Key Takeaways
- The story: College basketball rankings: Florida earns No. 1 spot in preseason AP Top 25 poll ahead of Duke, Illinois
- Who’s involved: Illinois. The Gators, College, Florida and Duke
- League: College Basketball
- First reported: Monday, October 19, 2026 by CBS Sports
Background: College basketball
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athletic bodies, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). These national affiliation organizations may be subdivided into divisions, generally based on the number and level of scholarships that may be provided to the athletes. Institutions that play in Division II of the NCCAA are typically small Bible colleges.
Text from Wikipedia’s College basketball article, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What’s Next for Illinois. The Gators
For fans following Illinois. The Gators, the next things to watch are the AP Top 25, bracketology, transfer portal and recruiting. Stories like this one tend to move quickly, so check back for follow-up reports and reaction as more outlets pick it up.
- Latest College Basketball news today: every CBB headline as it breaks
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happened with Illinois. The Gators?
The Gators are the preseason No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since 2006. CBS Sports reported the story on Monday, October 19, 2026.
Who reported this CBB story?
CBS Sports first reported it on Monday, October 19, 2026. ForTheFans summarizes it here with background and related College Basketball news.
Where can I get the latest College Basketball news today?
The ForTheFans College Basketball page collects every CBB headline as it breaks, including AP Top 25, bracketology and transfer portal, with live scores on our scores page.
Summarized by ForTheFans from reporting by CBS Sports. Headlines, quoted text and photos belong to their publishers. How we report
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