AP Rankings - 1996-1997
18 polls from November 12, 1996 to March 10, 1997; 34 schools ranked. Connecticut finished No. 1, holding it for 12 polls.
| School | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Arkansas | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 23 | - | - |
| Auburn | 25 | - | - | - | 25 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 21 | - | - | - | - | - | 19 | 13 |
| Clemson | - | 25 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
| Colorado | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 21 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| DePaul | - | - | - | - | - | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Duke | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 25 | - |
| Florida | 21 | 20 | 19 | 24 | - | - | - | - | 25 | 24 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 7 |
| George Washington | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 24 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 22 |
| Georgia | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| Illinois | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 |
| Iowa | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 21 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kansas | 12 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 |
| Louisiana Tech | 14 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| LSU | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 22 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Michigan State | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 23 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 24 |
| NC State | 13 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 25 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nebraska | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25 | 25 | - | - | - | - | - | 23 | - | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Notre Dame | 20 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 15 |
| Old Dominion | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Penn State | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 22 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Purdue | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 24 | - | - |
| Stanford | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 |
| Texas | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
| Texas Tech | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 |
| Tulane | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25 | 24 | - | 24 | 23 |
| Vanderbilt | 9 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 20 |
| Virginia | 10 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
| Western Kentucky | 8 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 22 | - | 25 | 21 | 22 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 23 | - | - | - | - | - |