Iowa Drops In AP Rankings Despite Undefeated Record

While they were previously No. 11, the Iowa Hawkeyes didn't do enough to keep their spot in the AP rankings. For whatever reason, the committee didn't think much of their wins over Western Illinois and Fairfield as they fell back in pursuit of a Top 10 ranking.

Sitting at No. 12, the 8-0 Iowa Hawkeyes are out for blood. With Big Ten play beginning on December 6, head coach Jan Jensen has the full week to get her team prepared for Rutgers. With only one game this week, it'll be extremely hard for Iowa to make up any ground and crack into the Top 10.

Iowa Drops From No. 11 To No. 12

At the end of the day, falling one spot in the AP Rankings isn't that big of an issue. The Hawkeyes have proved themselves so far this season, especially by scoring 86 points in their last two games. They weathered the storm that was Fairfield who came to Carver and put up a record number of three pointers.

Regardless, Iowa is still a top team in the nation. They'll have a chance to prove AP voters wrong as two of their next four games are against ranked opponents. With No. 10 Iowa State and No. 1 UConn on the horizon, this is a make or break moment for Jensen's squad.

It's still far too early in the season to tell if Iowa can stay in the Top 15. They will likely drop at least one game by December 20, though there would be no shame in losing to either the Cyclones or Huskies. That said, Jensen has no plans on losing anytime soon as she looks to get her team into the Top 10.

AP Poll - UNC and Iowa Swap Places

Oct 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Nyla Harris (2) steals the possession against South Carolina Gamecocks center Madina Okot (11) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The AP Poll saw quite a bit of movement as Texas moved from No. 4 to No. 2, South Carolina fell a spot, as did UCLA. From there, the next moves were UNC and Iowa swapping places. Voters loved what they saw out of the Tar Heels in the Cancun Challenge as they went 3-0 against South Dakota State, Kansas State, and Columbia.

Now, UNC has No. 2 Texas to prepare for. That's one of, if not the biggest games of the week as Iowa has their unranked opponent to prepare for. A UNC loss would allow for Iowa to earn their ranking back, as long as they take care of business against the Scarlet Knights. Should they lose to Rutgers, they would likely fall down around the No. 20 range which features anywhere from 8-0 Michigan State to 5-2 Tennessee.

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