FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ football team is ranked 19th in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll that was released Monday.
The Razorbacks’ ranking is higher than where they finished last season, when they were ranked 21st following a 24-10 victory over Penn State in the Outback Bowl that improved their record 9-4. Arkansas is ranked in the AP preseason poll for the first time since 2015.
Cincinnati is ranked 23rd in the preseason poll. The Razorbacks are scheduled to open the season with a game against the Bearcats on Sept. 3 in Fayetteville.
Six SEC teams are ranked in the preseason poll, led by top-ranked Alabama. Georgia (3), Texas A&M (6), Kentucky (20) and Ole Miss (21) are also ranked.
Arkansas is scheduled to play Texas A&M on Sept. 24 in Arlington, Texas, and is scheduled to host games in Fayetteville against Alabama on Oct. 1 and Ole Miss on Nov. 19.
The Razorbacks are also scheduled to play a non-conference game at No. 25 BYU on Oct. 15. Arkansas opponents LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn and South Carolina received votes in the AP poll but were unranked.
Arkansas is ranked in both major polls this preseason. The Razorbacks were ranked 23rd in the USA Today Coaches Poll that was released earlier this month.
The AP poll is the poll of record for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette until the first College Football Playoff rankings are released in late October.
Preseason AP Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Utah
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Oklahoma State
13. North Carolina State
14. Southern Cal
15. Michigan State
16. Miami
17. Pittsburgh
18. Wisconsin
19. Arkansas
20. Kentucky
21. Ole Miss
22. Wake Forest
23. Cincinnati
24. Houston
25. BYU