Arizona is sixth nationally in the initial 2025-26 NCAA NetRatings. Michigan, Purdue, Duke, Vanderbilt and Gonzaga are first through fifth. Wins over Utah Tech, Northern Arizona and Denver likely bring the Net Rating for Arizona down. The NCAA explained the NetRatings.
"The NET includes more components than just winning percentage. It takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses."
Arizona is 2-0 early in the 2025-26 season against quadrant 1, 1-0 versus quad two and wins over Denver, Northern Arizona and Utah Tech are all quad three. Connecticut is eighth in the NetRatings, Florida is 33rd, and UCLA is 76th.
Teams place in the NetRatings are influenced by their opponents. UCLA lost to California on Tuesday. The Bears are 52nd in the NetRatings. The UCLA loss to Arizona is quad one, losing to California is quad two and the Bruins' are 5-0 against quad four.
FIRST LOOK AT THE 2025-26 NET RANKINGS❗️
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Looking ahead
The tough schedule continues for Arizona in its next two games. Auburn, 30th in the NetRatings, is at Arizona on Saturday. Alabama, 14th in the NetRatings, plays against Arizona in Birmingham on December 13.
The NetRatings only includes teams' records at home, on the road, at neutral sites and against the four quadrant opponents. Quadrants are divided separately, with road wins being awarded greater than neutral-site and home victories.
The NetRatings do not release schedule strength, their offensive and defensive efficiency and the quality of wins and losses. Arizona is 126th in KenPom SOS. The Wildcats do fit a KenPom metric of the past 20 national champions.
The SOS for Arizona will rise significantly after the games against Alabama and Auburn and even more throughout the season in BigXII play. Arizona has four non-conference games after playing Alabama. Three remaining non-conference games are at home against lower-level Division I opponents and Arizona plays San Diego State in Phoenix.