AP Poll - December 16, 1996
Poll 6 of 18 of the 1996-1997 season; Stanford is No. 1 (unchanged).
| Rank | School | Conference | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Stanford | Pac-10 | - |
| 2. | Connecticut | Big East | - |
| 3. | Georgia | SEC | 1 |
| 4. | Old Dominion | CAA | 2 |
| 5. | Louisiana Tech | Sun Belt | 2 |
| 6. | Tennessee | SEC | 1 |
| 7. | Alabama | SEC | - |
| 8. | NC State | ACC | 1 |
| 9. | Penn State | Big 10 | 3 |
| 10. | Western Kentucky | Sun Belt | 1 |
| 11. | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 3 |
| 12. | Virginia | ACC | 2 |
| 13. | Texas | Big 12 | 3 |
| 14. | Vanderbilt | SEC | 1 |
| 15. | Duke | ACC | 2 |
| 16. | Notre Dame | Big East | 6 |
| 17. | Kansas | Big 12 | 1 |
| 18. | Wisconsin | Big 10 | 1 |
| 19. | North Carolina | ACC | 1 |
| 20. | Auburn | SEC | 5 |
| 21. | Iowa | Big 10 | 9 |
| 22. | Clemson | ACC | - |
| 23. | Arkansas | SEC | - |
| 24. | Stephen F. Austin | SLC | - |
| 25. | DePaul | C-USA | new |