The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team finished the 2025-26 season ranked No. 12 in the nation, according to final polls released on April 7.
This ranking comes after Tennessee reached the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year, reflecting continued success under head coach Rick Barnes. The Volunteers concluded their season with a record of 25-12 overall and an 11-7 mark in Southeastern Conference play.
Tennessee moved up significantly in both major polls, jumping 11 spots in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and climbing by 13 places in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The team’s postseason run included victories over Miami (OH), Virginia, and Iowa State before falling to Michigan, who went on to win the national championship.
The No. 12 finish is among the best in program history—eighth-best all-time—and marks five top-12 placements over the past eight seasons under Barnes’ leadership. In total, Tennessee now has thirteen AP top-15 finishes, with six coming since Barnes took over as head coach nine years ago.
Additionally, this is Tennessee’s fifth straight year ending inside the AP top-20 and its fourth time within the top twelve during that period. The Volunteers also maintained strong showings across other rankings such as ESPN BPI and KenPom.com while recording their fifth consecutive season with at least twenty-five wins and a fourth straight Sweet Sixteen appearance.
Barnes has led Tennessee to a total of one hundred fifty AP top-25 rankings during his tenure, including seventy-six weeks inside the top ten nationally.
