IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference opens the 2024 season with five programs ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 with Utah earning the league’s top ranking of 12th place. Oklahoma State (17th), Kansas State (18th), Arizona (21st) and Kansas (22nd) round out the Conference’s top 25 teams in the AP poll as Iowa State, West Virginia and Colorado received votes as well. Monday’s poll marks the first time the Big 12 Conference has had five teams voted to the AP Preseason Top 25 since 2017.

The preseason AP voting mirrors the Big 12’s rankings in last week’s AFCA Coaches poll, which also ranked Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Arizona and Kansas in its preseason top 25.

Big 12 Conference Preseason AP Top 25 Notes

• Kansas was voted into the AP’s Preseason poll for the first time since 2009.
• Utah earned a preseason AP ranking for the fifth consecutive season, excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 season.
• Joining the Jayhawks with a noteworthy spot in the poll, Arizona earned its first preseason ranking since 2015.
• Oklahoma State was ranked in the preseason poll for a fifth time since 2016 and continues a run of being ranked in an AP poll in every season since 2008.
• Kansas State will open a second consecutive season in the top 20 of the AP poll.

The 2024 Big 12 football season will officially begin on Thursday, Aug. 29 with Colorado, Kansas, UCF and Utah opening their schedules.