USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Preseason Poll
October 2, 2000
| Team | Points | (First Place Votes) | Last Poll | Record | Weeks in Poll | |
| 1. | North | Dakota | (12) | (33-8-1) | 262 | 1 |
| 2. | Michigan | (4) | (26-9-4) | 240 | 7 | |
| 3. | Wisconsin | (2) | (27-7-5) | 214 | 5 | |
| 4. | Michigan | St | (27-10-4) | 195 | 10 | |
| 5. | Boston | College | (29-12-1) | 193 | 2 | |
| 6. | New | Hampshire | (23-8-6) | 174 | 11 | |
| 7. | Boston | University | (24-9-7) | 159 | 6 | |
| 8. | St. | Lawrence | (26-7-2) | 148 | 4 | |
| 9. | 9. | Maine | (26-7-5) | 110 | 3 | |
| 10. | St. | Cloud | St | (23-13-3) | 103 | 12 |
| 11. | 11. | Cornell | (16-14-2) | 85 | - | |
| 12. | 12. | Minnesota | (20-19-2) | 69 | 14 | |
| 13. | Lake | Superior | St | (18-16-2) | 63 | - |
| 14. | 14. | Nebraska-Omaha | (16-19-7) | 41 | 11 | |
| 15. | Colorado | College | (18-18-3) | 40 | - |
Others receiving votes: Harvard 26, Colgate 16, Clarkson 10, Minnesota St 4, Northern Michigan 4, Quinnipiac 4
