1979–80 AIAW Division I women's basketball rankings
# 1979–80 AIAW Division I women's basketball rankings

A single human poll represents the 1979–80 AIAW Division I women's basketball rankings, the AP Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls.

The AP poll was initially a poll of coaches conducted via telephone, where coaches identified top teams and a list of the Top 20 team was produced. The contributors continued to be coaches until 1994, when the AP took over administration of the poll from Mel Greenberg, and switched to a panel of writers. The AP poll is currently a poll of sportswriters. The AP conducts polls weekly through the end of the regular season and conference play.

## Legend

| – | Not ranked |
| - | - |
| (#) | Ranking |

## AP Poll

Source

| Team | 25-Nov | 4-Dec | 11-Dec | 18-Dec | 25-Dec | 1-Jan | 8-Jan | 15-Jan | 22-Jan | 29-Jan | 5-Feb | 12-Feb | 19-Feb | 24-Feb | 2-Mar | 9-Mar | 18-Mar |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Old Dominion | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | T1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Louisiana Tech | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| South Carolina | 16 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Maryland | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Texas | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | T1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
| Rutgers | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Long Beach St. | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 |
| North Carolina St. | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| Kansas | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
| Cheyney | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Kansas St. | – | – | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
| Kentucky | – | – | – | – | 18 | 18 | – | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 |
| Northwestern | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
| Mercer | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | T20 | 16 |
| Oregon | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | T20 | 17 |
| Central Mo. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| San Francisco | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 19 |
| BYU | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 |
| Clemson | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | – | – |
| Delta St. | – | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Detroit | – | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | – |
| LSU | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mississippi Col. | – | – | – | – | 20 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ole Miss | 19 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Penn St. | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pittsburgh | – | – | T20 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Queens (NY) | – | – | T20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Southern California | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – |
| Tennessee Tech | 13 | 14 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 20 | – | – | – |
| UCLA | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 20 | T20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| UNLV | 17 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | – | – |
| Valdosta St. | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Villanova | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | T20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | – | – | – | – | – |
