1963 NCAA University Division football rankings
Two human polls comprised the 1963 National Collegiate Athletic Association football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll.Legend
AP Poll
The final AP Poll was released on December 9, at the end of the 1963 regular season, weeks before the bowls.
The poll ranked only the top ten teams from 1962 through 1967.The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, on December 3.
Texas received 31 of the 35 first-place votes and Navy received the other four.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Texas | Southwest | Won Cotton, 28–6 |
| 2 | Navy | Independent | Lost Cotton, 6–28 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | Independent | none |
| 4 | Illinois | Big Ten | Won Rose, 17–7 |
| 5 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Won Orange, 13–7 |
| 6 | Auburn | SEC | Lost Orange, 7–13 |
| 7 | Mississippi | SEC | Lost Sugar, 7–12 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | none |
| 9 | Alabama | SEC | Won Sugar, 12–7 |
| 10 | Michigan State | Big Ten | none |
| 11 | Mississippi State | SEC | Won Liberty, 16–12 |
| 12 | Syracuse | Independent | none |
| 13 | Arizona State | WAC | none |
| 14 | Memphis State | Independent | none |
| 15 | Washington | AAWU | Lost Rose, 7–17 |
| 16 | Penn State | Independent | none |
| 16 | USC | AAWU | none |
| 16 | Missouri | Big Eight | none |
| 19 | North Carolina | ACC | Won Gator, 35–0 |
| 20 | Baylor | Southwest | Won Bluebonnet, 14–7 |
Source:
