SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The inaugural Big West Champions UC Santa Barbara softball finished No. 15 in the final D1Softball Mid-Major Top 25 released Thursday morning.
In addition to its top 20 finish in the mid-major poll, the Gauchos received votes and finished just outside of the top 25 in the final NFCA/GoRout Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll released Tuesday. Santa Barbara was the fifth-highest non-P4 team in the final national rankings.
The Gauchos received three votes in the NFCA/GoRout Coaches Poll marking the first appearance in the national poll since Week 8 of the 1998 poll. It is also the most votes they have received since earning 45 in Week 3 of the 1998 poll.
UC Santa Barbara (36-26) won their first-ever and the inaugural Big West Championship to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2007. In the regional, the Gauchos also earned the program's first two NCAA postseason wins after defeating Arizona State and San Diego State to advance to the Regional Championship.
2025 D1Softball Final Mid-Major Top 25
1. Liberty
2. Grand Canyon
3. FAU
4. South Florida
5. San Diego State
6. North Florida
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Nevada
9. Southeastern
10. Omaha
11. Belmont
12. Marist
13. Texas State
14. UConn
15. UC Santa Barbara
16. Fresno State
17. Binghamton
18. North Texas
19. Miami (Ohio)
20. Mercer
21. Southern Illinois
22. Chattanooga
23. Idaho State
24. Eastern Kentucky
25. Santa Clara
2025 NFCA/GoRout Final Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll
School (First-place votes) | Points | Record | Previous Ranking
1. Texas (31) | 775 | 56-12 | 3
2. Texas Tech | 744 | 54-14 | 10
3. Oklahoma | 711 | 52-9 | 2
4. Tennessee | 680 | 47-17 | 7
5. Oregon | 643 | 54-10 | 6
6. UCLA | 609 | 55-13 | 9
7. Florida | 579 | 48-17 | 8
8. Ole Miss | 561 | 42-21 | 17
9. Arkansas | 493 | 44-14 | 4
10. Florida State | 469 | 49-12 | 5
11. Clemson | 432 | 48-14 | 13
12. South Carolina | 413 | 44-17 | 14
13. Nebraska | 392 | 43-15 | 19
14. Texas A&M | 379 | 48-11 | 1
15. Alabama | 311 | 40-23 | 20
16. Arizona | 302 | 48-13 | 12
17. Liberty | 274 | 50-15 | RV
18. Virginia Tech | 229 | 43-13 | 15
19. LSU | 221 | 42-16 | 11
20. Stanford | 207 | 42-13 | 16
21. Mississippi State | 163 | 39-19 | 18
22. Georgia | 137 | 35-23 | RV
23. Duke | 130 | 41-18 | 21
24. Ohio State | 89 | 45-14-1 | 22
25. Oklahoma State | 48 | 35-20 | 24
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern 27, Grand Canyon 19, Michigan 12, North Florida 7, UCF 3,
UC Santa Barbara 3, Virginia 2, Auburn 1, FAU 1.
