The Pac-12 Conference saw five teams included in the 2021 AP Top 25 Preseason Poll, with the initial rankings released on Aug. 16. The Conference's five preseason selections are tied with the SEC and Big Ten for the most among all conferences. More impressively, 41.7% (five of 12) of Pac-12 programs were included in the list - the highest percentage of any conference. For the Pac-12, five teams in the AP preseason poll are the most since the Conference also had five in the 2019 preseason rankings.

No. 11 Oregon, winner of back-to-back Pac-12 titles, is the highest ranked Pac-12 team entering the season. They were followed closely by No. 15 USC (reigning Pac-12 South division winner), No. 20 Washington, No. 24 Utah and No. 25 Arizona State, who made the preseason poll for the first time since 2015. UCLA also received votes in the season's initial poll.

The Pac-12 Conference has made a habit of being well represented on the poll. In eight of the past nine seasons, the Pac-12 has seen at least four teams included in the preseason poll. A panel of 62 sports writers and broadcasters from across the country vote on the AP Top 25 poll. The full list can be found at: apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll. 

Additional AP Preseason Top 25 Notes

• Oregon has made the AP Preseason Top 25 rankings four-straight years.
• USC has made the AP Preseason Top 25 rankings in 21 of the last 22 seasons and 60 times overall, the third most of any school.
• Washington is included in the AP Preseason Top 25 for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
• Utah is included in the AP Preseason Top 25 for the third-straight season, the first time school history the school has made three-straight AP Top 25 Preseason rankings

The 2021 Pac-12 football season begins Saturday, August 28 when UCLA hosts Hawaii at 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT on ESPN, followed by the first full slate of action kicking off shortly after on Thursday, Sept. 2.