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Northwestern

Best finish

No. 8

Seasons ranked

23 / 45

Best finish

No. 8 (2020-2021)

Sports

Football · Men's Basketball · Women's Basketball · Women's Volleyball

Polls

Media · Coaches · Playoff

Years in the Rankings

Any poll, any sport

Season-final ranking by sport · 1982-1983 – 2026-2027

FootballWomen's BasketballWomen's Volleyball

Each point is Northwestern's rank in that sport's final poll of the season. Lower is better; a gap is a season that sport didn't finish ranked.

A year is lit when Northwestern was ranked in any poll that season; the best rank reached is shown. Click a year to open that season's poll board and cycle it week by week.

2020s4 ranked

2026 Best · No. 25 FB

2025Unranked

2024Unranked

2023 Best · No. 25 Men's 2022 Best · No. 21 Men's

2021Unranked

2020 Best · No. 8 FBMen'sWomen's

2010s9 ranked

2019 Best · No. 11 FBWomen's 2018 Best · No. 19 FB 2017 Best · No. 17 FBMen's 2016 Best · No. 25 Men's 2015 Best · No. 12 FBWomen's 2014 Best · No. 22 Women'sVB 2013 Best · No. 16 FB 2012 Best · No. 16 FB

2011Unranked

2010 Best · No. 20 FBVB

2000s5 ranked

2009 Best · No. 25 Men's 2008 Best · No. 20 FB

2007Unranked

2006Unranked

2005 Best · No. 21 FB

2004Unranked

2003Unranked

2002Unranked

2001 Best · No. 14 FB 2000 Best · No. 12 FB

1990s0 ranked

1999Unranked

1998Unranked

1997Unranked

1996Unranked

1995Unranked

1994Unranked

1993Unranked

1992Unranked

1991Unranked

1990Unranked

1980s5 ranked

1989Unranked

1988Unranked

1987 Best · No. 15 VB

1986Unranked

1985 Best · No. 16 VB 1984 Best · No. 16 VB 1983 Best · No. 17 VB 1982 Best · No. 11 VB

Recent Season

Media Top 25 · 2026-2027

Ranking by week

Lower is better. Gaps mark weeks the team was unranked. Open this season's board →