Frequently asked questions about the Top 25
Who votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25?
How does the Top 25 work?
Why is your poll so different from the NCAA's regional poll?
Who votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25?
There are 25 voters on each panel spread across the NCAA's 10 regions with Pat Coleman as the 25th men's voter and Gordon Mann as the 25th women's voter. The voters are coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members.
We do not reveal individual voters' names because we do not want them subject to lobbying and backlash from coaches and fans of teams. This is something we have experienced in voting for other polls. However, several voters actively share their ballots on social media.
We learned how to administrate such a massive undertaking by observing how the Division I college baseball coaches' poll is run.
Division III basketball is similar, with a large amount of teams and number of games but little to no television coverage. We go through a massive amount of information this week to send to our voters, making sure they have the information necessary on each team that is a Top 25 contender. Voters know when and where the game was played, what the score was, and what the opponent's record is.
Voters receive information Sunday evening and have until Monday afternoon to vote. We compile the vote tally and release it by Monday evening, depending on when voters get their ballots in. It is always through Sunday's games unless noted.
Teams get 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 for second place, etc.
Why is your poll so different from the NCAA's regional poll?
The regional poll is a reflection of how teams will be seeded and selected for the NCAA Tournament based on specific criteria found elsewhere in our FAQ, but our poll is a subjective ranking of all teams nationally.