AP Rankings - 1979-1980
17 polls from November 25, 1979 to March 18, 1980; 35 schools ranked. Old Dominion finished No. 1, holding it for 12 polls.
| School | Nov 25 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYU | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 |
| Central Missouri | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| Cheyney | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Clemson | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | - | - |
| Delta State | - | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 19 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Detroit | - | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | - |
| Kansas | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
| Kansas State | - | - | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
| Kentucky | - | - | - | - | 18 | 18 | - | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 |
| Long Beach State | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 |
| Louisiana Tech | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| LSU | - | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Maryland | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Mercer | - | - | - | 20 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 16 |
| Mississippi | 19 | 19 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mississippi College | - | - | - | - | 20 | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| NC State | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| Northwestern | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
| Old Dominion | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oregon | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 17 |
| Penn State | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pittsburgh | - | - | 20 | 19 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Queens College | - | - | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Rutgers | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| San Francisco | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 19 |
| South Carolina | 16 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Tennessee Tech | 13 | 14 | 19 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 20 | - | - | - |
| Texas | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
| UCLA | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| UNLV | 17 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | - | - |
| USC | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 17 | - |
| Valdosta State | 15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Villanova | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | - | - | - | - | - |