logo
Auburn men move to No. 1 in Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll for March 21

Auburn men move to No. 1 in Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll for March 21

USA Today21-03-2025

Auburn men move to No. 1 in Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll for March 21
After consecutive wins at Southern Highlands and the General Hackler, Auburn tops the Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll for the first time since Sept. 20. The Tigers received 19 first-place votes and 499 points in the process.
Texas (one first-place vote), Arizona State, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss (previously No. 1) round out the top five, while LSU, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida complete the top 10.
Here's a look at the Bushnell/Golfweek coaches polls for March 21, including Div. I, Div. II, Div. III, NAIA and junior colleges.
2024-25 Bushnell/Golfweek Div. I Coaches Poll
Rank Team Points Previous 1 Auburn (19) 499 2 2 Texas (1) 470 5 3 Arizona State 455 3 4 Oklahoma State 422 6 5 Ole Miss 418 1 6 LSU 407 8 7 Oklahoma 373 4 8 North Carolina 346 7 9 Virginia 332 9 10 Florida 323 10 11 Florida State 283 20 12 Illinois 272 11 13 Utah 267 12 14 UCLA 223 16 15 Alabama 215 22 16 San Diego State 173 25 17 Duke 169 RV 18 South Carolina 165 15 19 Vanderbilt 139 13 20 Arizona 94 17 21 Tennessee 85 RV 22 Texas Tech 78 18 T-23 Georgia Tech 60 14 T-23 Texas A&M 60 RV 25 UNLV 56 RV
Others receiving votes: Pepperdine (28), Mississippi State (23), USF (16), BYU (11), Long Beach State (10), Georgia (9), Colorado (7), San Diego (7), Notre Dame (6), SMU (6), Clemson (3).
2024-25 Bushnell/Golfweek Div. II Coaches Poll
Rank University Points Previous 1 Colorado Christian (16) 422 1 2 North Georgia 403 2 3 West Florida (1) 393 3 4 Lincoln Memorial 368 6 5 Central Oklahoma 331 5 6 Grand Valley State 330 4 7 Lee 317 8 8 Oklahoma Christian 314 7 9 Georgia Southwestern 279 10 10 USC Aiken 276 11 11 Florida Southern 263 13 12 Wingate 228 14 13 Columbus State 211 9 14 Cal State East Bay 182 12 15 USCB 159 15 16 St. Mary's (TX) 153 16 17 Nova Southeastern 149 21 18 Missouri S&T 130 18 19 Lander 113 19 20 Gannon 94 17 21 Rollins 84 20 22 CSU Monterey Bay 71 RV 23 Harding 66 23 24 Saint Leo 44 24 25 UMSL 39 25
Others receiving votes: Lenoir-Rhyne (27), Wayne State (MI) (22), Barry (21), UT Tyler (11), Colorado Mesa (5), Chico State (4), Colorado State Pueblo (4), Henderson State (3), Palm Beach Atlantic (3), Sonoma State (3), Stanislaus State (3), Valdosta State (2), Midwestern State (1).
2024-25 Bushnell/Golfweek Div. III Coaches Poll
Rank University Points Previous 1 Methodist (15) 447 2 2 Washington and Lee (3) 433 1 3 Sewanee 398 5 4 Illinois Wesleyan 389 4 5 Emory 388 3 6 Oglethorpe 356 6 7 Carnegie Mellon 322 7 8 LeTourneau 314 10 9 Aurora 298 8 10 Lynchburg 287 9 11 Huntingdon 271 11 12 Trinity (TX) 250 15 13 Guilford 238 12 T-14 Hampden-Sydney 189 16 T-14 Southwestern (TX) 189 13 16 Redlands 186 T-18 17 Babson 179 RV 18 Kenyon 145 24 19 UW-Eau Claire 136 14 20 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 102 17 21 Berry 97 T-18 T-22 Averett 52 RV T-22 Bethel (MN) 52 21 24 Carleton 33 20 25 Whitman 22 NR
Others receiving votes: Gustavus Adolphus (20), Cal Lutheran (18), Rochester (15), Pomona-Pitzer (8), Gettysburg (4), La Verne (4), Nebraska Wesleyan (4), Saint John's (MN) (3), Skidmore (1).
2024-25 Bushnell/Golfweek NJCAA NAIA Coaches Poll
Rank University Points Previous 1 Oklahoma City (4) 243 2 2 Dalton State (1) 228 4 3 Lindsey Wilson 227 3 4 Keiser (5) 220 1 5 Texas Wesleyan 203 T-6 6 OUAZ 190 12 7 Wayland Baptist 187 5 8 Marian (IN) 176 T-6 9 Coastal Georgia 173 9 10 MidAmerica Nazarene 168 11 11 The Master's 134 NR 12 Campbellsville 132 13 13 Indiana Wesleyan 125 14 14 Southeastern (FL) 120 20 15 William Carey 109 17 16 Mount Mercy 104 15 T-17 Blue Mountain College 86 RV T-17 Rocky Mountain 86 10 19 Reinhardt 76 19 20 Houston-Victoria 65 16 21 Point 60 RV 22 Webber International 40 RV 23 Northwestern Ohio 33 22 24 Hastings 29 18 25 USAO 15 23
Others receiving votes: Northwestern (IA) (12), Bellevue (9), SCAD Atlanta (1).
2024-25 Bushnell/Golfweek NJCAA Div. I Coaches Poll
Rank Team Points Previous 1 Midland (9) 90 1 2 Hutchinson 72 2 3 Odessa 68 3 4 New Mexico JC 55 8 5 Central Alabama 49 5 6 Indian Hills 46 4 T-7 McLennan 39 6 T-7 Western Texas 39 7 9 Dodge City 11 RV 10 Tyler 10 RV
Others Receiving Votes: Garden City (9), Eastern Florida State (4), Blinn (3)
2024-25 Bushnell/Golfweek NJCAA Div. II Coaches Poll
Rank University Points Previous 1 Mississippi Gulf Coast (4) 48 1 2 South Mountain (1) 46 2 3 Murray State (OK) 37 5 4 Parkland 35 3 5 Kirkwood 32 4 6 Meridian 25 6 7 Walters State 19 8 8 Heartland 16 7 9 East Central 9 T-9 T-10 Jones 3 RV T-10 Roane State 3 RV
Others receiving votes: Iowa Central (2).

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How many 'pews' are in Oakmont's famed bunker for 2025 U.S. Open? You won't believe it
How many 'pews' are in Oakmont's famed bunker for 2025 U.S. Open? You won't believe it

USA Today

time22 minutes ago

  • USA Today

How many 'pews' are in Oakmont's famed bunker for 2025 U.S. Open? You won't believe it

How many 'pews' are in Oakmont's famed bunker for 2025 U.S. Open? You won't believe it Pray for U.S. Open golfers who miss fairways at Oakmont Country Club, especially those whose ball comes to rest in the Church Pew bunker. Ranked No. 6 on Golfweek's Best Classic Courses list and hosting a record 10th U.S. Open this week, Oakmont features 168 bunkers in all from 'Big Mouth' in front of the 17th green to the famed Church Pew bunker situated between the third and fourth fairway, and is hazardous to your health on the left side of both holes. This beast of a bunker spans 26,000 feet, 109-yards long and 42- yards wide, three-feet tall and 550 tons of sand. And for the 125th U.S. Open, there will be 13 pews. When the course first opened in 1903, players faced six individual bunkers on the left side of the third but between the 1927 and 1935 U.S. Open those bunkers were converted to six pews. Ahead of the 1962 Open, the club added another one. Between the 1994 and 2007 Opens, the club added four more. This year the magic number is unlucky 13 after Gil Hanse renovated Oakmont's bunkers and inserted two more pews to the infamous bunker. 'We wanted to make sure the Pews were still in position to challenge the landing area of the longest players,' explained Hanse to Links Magazine. 'The Pews were also rebuilt to be less consistent from pew to pew, much like the ones originally constructed by the Fowneses.' To do so, Hanse added nearly 40 yards to the par-4 third, stretching it to 462 yards. There are also five bunkers on the right side demanding precision. Oakmont founder Henry Fownes and his son W.C. Fownes instituted the club's hard is good philosophy. 'A shot poorly played is a shot irrevocably lost,' argued W.C. Fownes. 'Let the clumsy, the spineless, the alibi artist stand aside.' For the first 60 years, Oakmont used a rake that cut two-inch deep grooves to furrow the sand. Not everyone was fond of them. Bobby Jones wrote, 'The Oakmont furrows seem to say, 'Well, here you are in a bunker, and it doesn't matter how good you are, or how much nerve you have, the only thing you can do now is blast,' he wrote. 'Yet a furrowed bunker, supposedly to reward the skillful player, absolutely precludes the use of a recovery shot requiring more than the application of a strong back and a willing heart!' Jimmy Demaret famously said of these implements, 'You could have combed North Africa with it and Rommel wouldn't have gotten past Casablanca.' Ahead of the 1953 U.S. Open, players hinted at a boycott and the USGA felt compelled to say enough is enough. But the club refused to change. Ultimately, they reached a compromise, so the fairway bunkers remained smooth while the greenside bunkers were moderately furrowed. That deal held for the Open when it returned in 1962 too. The rakes were eliminated when the coarse river sand was replaced by finer white sand, which failed to retain the furrows. The only furrows this week at Oakmont? The brows of the disgruntled golfers when they realize their ball is in the Church Pews. Pray for them!

On3 lists the Auburn Tigers as a 2025 College Football Playoff 'sleeper'
On3 lists the Auburn Tigers as a 2025 College Football Playoff 'sleeper'

USA Today

time27 minutes ago

  • USA Today

On3 lists the Auburn Tigers as a 2025 College Football Playoff 'sleeper'

On3 lists the Auburn Tigers as a 2025 College Football Playoff 'sleeper' On3's Ari Wasserman feels that it would be foolish to sleep on the Auburn Tigers this season. Auburn football has not experienced a winning season since the COVID-shortended 2020 season, but one analyst feels that this could be the year that the Tigers get over the mountain and will make a run to the College Football Playoffs in 2025. Ari Wasserman of On3 recently compiled a list of SEC and Big Ten teams that could create havoc in the College Football Playoff race in 2025, and the Auburn Tigers are on it. Wasserman cites quarterback play as a giant factor in Auburn's chances to earn a seat in the College Football Playoff for the first time ever. Auburn was the best bad team in college football last year. Despite having dysfunctional quarterback play the entire season, the Tigers fought hard, ran the ball well and were highly competitive against good teams. Now head coach Hugh Freeze — who has a long history of drawing up some ball plays — brought in three options at quarterback. It seems like Jackson Arnold, the Oklahoma transfer, will get the call. If he has a solid, productive offseason in which he develops, high-level quarterback play combined with an amazing 1-2 receiver punch of Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. could have the Tigers back in contention. With the talent that Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has recruited to Auburn over the years, it feels that Auburn is close to making its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Quarterback play will be under a high-powered microscope this season as most analysts, such as Wasserman, feel that will make the difference in the Tigers making a playoff push, or ending the season in a bowl game. Jackson Arnold joins the Tigers' roster after posting solid numbers at Oklahoma last season, completing 62% of his passes for 1,421 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 444 yards and three touchdowns. He will get a fresh start after a sophomore season filled with inconsistent offensive line play and an injury-filled season for the Sooners' wide receiver unit. Auburn will protect him with an experienced offensive line and a wide receiver room that is poised to be the best in the SEC this season. If Arnold becomes the quarterback that was he was projected to be as a five-star and the Gatorade Player of the Year from Texas, there is zero question that Auburn will be in the mix for a College Football Playoff bid. According to Wasserman, the South Carolina Gamecocks, Oklahoma Sooners, and Florida Gators join Auburn as SEC squads who are also considered a "sleeper" in the College Football Playoff pursuit. Based on this list, the Sept. 20 matchup between the Tigers and Sooners in Norman could be a major player in both team's College Football Playoff dreams. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Auburn baseball: Five players join roster through transfer portal
Auburn baseball: Five players join roster through transfer portal

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Auburn baseball: Five players join roster through transfer portal

Auburn baseball: Five players join roster through transfer portal Auburn's coaching staff worked double-duty this weekend to help build its 2026 roster. Auburn baseball experienced a historical weekend by hosting its first-ever NCAA Super Regional, and the Tigers' coaching staff took full advantage by using it as an edge to fuel its transfer portal recruiting efforts. While Auburn fans were cheering on the Tigers at Plainsman Park, several transfer portal targets were fielding recruiting pitches behind the scenes. The 2026 roster is now taking shape as five experienced transfers are set to join the team in their pursuit of another College World Series appearance. Several key names will need to be replaced next season as Cooper McMurray, Carson Myers, Deric Fabian, and Sam Dutton are out of eligibility, and Ike Irish is receiving first-round chatter ahead of next month's MLB draft. Players such as Bub Terrell, Chris Rembert, Eric Snow, Chase Fralick, and Cade Belyeu are set to return next season, and the addition of these transfers will fit in nicely as Butch Thompson aims to fill the voids with the best talent available. Here is a look at the haul Auburn baseball secured over the weekend from the transfer portal. Jake Marciano Auburn added a left-handed pitcher in Jake Marciano, a rising sophomore, over the weekend. Marciano was Virginia Tech's primary Saturday starter this season, and finished with a 4-2 record with a 6.08 ERA and 71 strikeouts. He struck out at least two batters in all but one of his 14 starts this season, and struck out a personal-best nine batters in the Hokies 6-1 win over Notre Dame on April 5, where he allowed one earned run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. 2025 stats (Virginia Tech): 4-2, 6.08 ERA, 15 appearances (14 starts), 60 2/3 innings pitched, 70 hits, 42 runs allowed (41 earned), 71 strikeouts, 18 walks Ryne Farber Auburn added an infield piece in Ryan Farber, a shortstop from Texas State. The switch hitter has recorded at least two home runs, 48 hits, and 25 RBI over the last two seasons. He struck out 36 times last season, up from the nine he recorded as a freshman in 2024, but his stolen base production has increased from eight in 2024 to 17 in 2025. In the field, he fielded at a .962 clip in 2025 while recording 75 putouts and just eight errors. 2025 stats (Texas State): .267 average, 59 hits, 4 home runs, 33 RBI, 30 walks, 36 strikeouts, 17 stolen bases Drew Whalen Whalen, a right-handed pitcher from Western Kentucky, earned a spot on the Conference-USA All-Freshman team in 2024, and followed suit as a sophomore by building a 9-3 record in 16 starts, where he struck out 90 batters and walked 31 over 81 2/3 innings. His season-best performance came against Sam Houston State, where he struck out 10 batters and allowed zero runs on three hits over 6 2/3 innings. He led the conference in wins (9), fifth in ERA (3.53), and third in strikeouts (90). 2025 stats (Western Kentucky): 9-3 record, 3.53 ERA, 16 appearances (16 starts), 81 2/3 innings, 90 strikeouts, 31 walks. Todd Clay There is no place like home. That is the case for Todd Clay, who returns to his hometown club after spending the 2025 season at UAB. Clay had a magical season at UAB, where he led the team in several categories inclduing hits (69), and slugging percentage (.539). The former Blazer infielder logged a .962 clip this season with only five errors and 31 putouts. Clay, a graduate of Auburn High School, was a member of the Tigers' 2021 state championship squad and is a member of the All-American Athletic Conference 2nd team. 2025 stats (UAB): .361 average, 53 games played (53 starts), 69 hits, 7 home runs, 51 RBI, .539 slugging percentage, six stolen bases, .962 fielding Garett Brewer The third pitching commit of the weekend is a left-hander formerly of Michigan State, Garrett Brewer. The rising junior appeared in 17 games in relief for the Spartans this season, where he recorded a career-high in innings pitched (34 1/3), strikeouts (41), opponent batting average (.223), and ERA (3.47). In Michigan State's 11-10 win over Minnesota on May 17, Brewer logged a season-best seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. 2025 stats (Michigan State): 2-2 record, 3.47 ERA, 17 appearances (0 starts), 1 save, 34 1/3 innings pitched, 41 strikeouts, 13 walks Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store