Tennessee debuted at No. 12 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 on Monday.
It marked the first time since 2016 that the Vols were ranked in the top 15 of the poll and the 43rd time in the program's history that they were ranked in the preseason.
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Since the inception of the AP poll in 1936, Tennessee has either started or finished ranked 57 times, including two No. 1 finishes in 1951 and 1998. The Vols won national championships both seasons.
Tennessee has exceeded expectations several times, too coming into a season unranked before working its way into the poll by the end of the season four times since the AP began releasing preseason rankings in 1950. In five of those seasons, Tennessee reached the top 10.
The Vols were just outside the top 25 a year ago before going 11-2 and earning its highest postseason ranking in more than 20 years after beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee football debuts at No. 12 in preseason AP Top 25
Here is a closer look at Tennessee's AP poll history, from start to finish.
How Heupel stacks up against Year 3 coaches
Josh Heupel's rebuild of the Tennessee football program may not completely be finished, but it's way ahead of schedule.
Under the cloud of an NCAA investigation and a mass exodus of players through the transfer portal that depleted the Vols' depth, Tennessee managed to win seven games and reach the postseason in Heupel's first season in 2021.
In Year 2, the Vols were on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff behind the best offense in college football, leading to high expectations for his third season.
Tennessee's most recent ranking reflects that, with the Vols just outside of the top 10 but in position to move up quickly if it can get through a manageable month of September where a road clash against Florida offers possibly its toughest test.
How does that stack up against past Tennessee coaches' standing in the AP preseason poll ahead of their third season?
Following the departure of head coach Robert Neyland—who was just one year removed from his fourth national championship when he retired in 1952—Bowden Wyatt took over the program after a brief stint under Harvey Robinson.
THE VOLREPORT SHOW: Answering questions ahead of Tennessee's 2023 season
Tennessee finished 10-1 and won the SEC in Wyatt's second season in 1956 and was voted No. 5 the following preseason. The Vols dropped to No. 13 by the end of the 1957 season amid an 8-3 record.
Doug Dickey began his successful tenure in 1964 and by his third season, had Tennessee ranked 10th in the preseason but the Vols finished unranked at 8-3. The next season, Tennessee won nine games and were named national champions by a number of selectors.
After Dickey left to take the Florida job following the 1969 season, Bill Battle was promoted to head coach in 1970. His tenure got off to a strong start with Tennessee winning the Sugar Bowl in his first season after starting the season unranked.
In Battle's third year in 1972, Tennessee started at No. 15, won 10-plus games for the third-straight season and finished No. 8.
Fresh off of winning a national championship at Pittsburgh, Johnny Majors returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1977, though it would be another nine seasons before finished a season ranked after Tennessee thumped Miami in the Sugar Bowl in complete its SEC title-winning season in 1985.
Under Phillip Fulmer, the Vols rattled off a 16-year stretch of being ranked in the preseason. In his third season in 1995, Tennessee opened at No. 8 and ended the season at No. 3.
Leading into Butch Jones' third season in 2015, Tennessee was ranked at No. 25 for the first time in eight years. The Vols ended up at No. 22 after a 9-win season. After closing out the 2019 season on a six-game win streak, Tennessee was No. 25 in Jeremy Pruitt's third season in 2020. The Vols went 3-7 and Pruitt was fired for cause a month later.
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