Arizona softball unanimous top 10 in polls, first RPI

Arizona softball is heading into its first Big 12 series this weekend. The Wildcats will be doing it as a unanimous top 10 team according to all four polls and the initial official RPI.

The 2025 RPI debuted after Sunday’s games. Arizona (21-2) had been No. 1 in the unofficial RPI published by Warren Nolan, but it is No. 4 in the first official version of the NCAA’s ranking system.

Holding a position in the top 16 should go a long way to getting the Wildcats the opportunity to host the postseason this year. They have not hosted since 2021 when they hosted regionals.

Both D1 Softball and Softball America agree with the RPI. Arizona is ranked No. 4 in both of the outlets’ polls. Both publications had the Wildcats at No. 7 last week, the highest of the four polls.

The ESPN.com/USA Softball poll also had Arizona as a top 10 team last week, putting the Wildcats at exactly No. 10. The combination of coaches and media members bumped them up this week to No. 7.

The last poll to come around is the USA Today/NFCA poll, which is used on this site as the official poll. The coaches’ organization had the Wildcats at No. 12 last week. Arizona made a three-spot jump to No. 9 after a perfect 6-0 week that included wins over UCLA and San Diego State. The Bruins were ranked No. 4 and the Aztecs were No. 23 at the time.

The Wildcats will begin their first year of Big 12 competition on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. MST. They will host UCF for a three-game series.