Big 12 Media Narrowly Tab Utah To Win Championship in First Season

July 15, 2024 by Staff

In its debut season as a member of the Big 12, Utah was chosen to finish first in the Conference’s 2024 football preseason poll as voted on by media representatives.

Utah joins Arizona and Arizona State as new members that defected from the PAC-12, while Colorado returns to the conference for the first time since 2010 after which the Buffaloes joined the PAC-12.

The Utes claimed 20 first-place votes and totaled 906 points, edging out Kansas State in second with 19 first-place ballots and 889 points. Oklahoma State placed third with 14 first-place votes and 829 points after falling 49-21 to Texas in the 2023 conference championship game.

The media poll and the 2024 Big 12 Champion Favorite Odds feature the same Top Four teams in the same order. Utah (+310) is the favorite, followed by Kansas State (+380), Oklahoma State (+850) and Kansas (+950). Kansas State and Utah were tied two months ago, but the odds have maintained the same top four teams as favorites.

Texas exits the Big 12, along with Oklahoma, to the SEC. Altogether, sixteen teams will compete for the championship this season. Half of those teams have joined the conference in the last two seasons with UCF, Houston, Cincinnati and BYU joining last year.

Last season's conference title was the first for the Longhorns since 2009, but the 4th over-all since 1996 when the Southwest Conference collapsed and the Big 12 was formed. Texas also claimed 19 outright and 6 co-championships in the Southwest Conference

Oklahoma won 13 Big 12 titles and 1 co-title. The Sooners also claimed 3 outright crowns and 2 co-titles in the Big 6 (1928-1947), all 12 championships during the existence of the Big 7 (1948-1959), 10 outright and 5 co-titles in the Big 8 (1960-1995), as well as 1 Southwest Conference title.

Kansas came in fourth with five first-place nods and 772 points.

Arizona took fifth in the poll and was the only other newcomer to land in the Top Ten with three first-place votes and 762 points.

Deion Sanders-led Colorado was picked to finish 11th, and Arizona State wound up at the bottom.

Rounding out the Top Ten were Iowa State (661 points) at No. 6, followed by West Virginia (581 points), UCF (551 points), Texas Tech (532 points), and TCU (436 points).

2024 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll

Conference Preseason Team

The Big 12 also announced its Preseason team and individual awards with Offensive Player of the Year going to Oklahoma State running back going to Ollie Gordon II, and Defensive Player of the Year awarded to Colorado multiple position player Travis Hunter. The Top Newcomer award was garnered by transfer quarterback KJ Jefferson of UCF (formerly Arkansas).

Offense
Pos Name School Ht Wt Class Hometown
QB Shedeur Sanders Colorado 6-2 215 Sr. Dallas, Texas
RB Ollie Gordon II* Oklahoma State 6-2 215 Jr. Fort Worth, Texas
RB Tahj Brooks Texas Tech 5-10 230 Sr. Manor, Texas
FB Stevo Klotz Iowa State 6-4 260 Sr. Chaska, Minn.
WR Tetairoa McMillan Arizona 6-5 210 Jr. Waimanalo, Hawai’i
WR Kobe Hudson UCF 6-1 200 Sr. Pine Mountain, Ga.
WR Jayden Higgins Iowa State 6-4 210 Sr. South Miami, Fla.
WR Brennan Presley Oklahoma State 5-8 160 Sr. Tulsa, Okla.
TE Brant Kuithe Utah 6-2 236 Sr. Katy, Texas
OL Jonah Savaiinaea Arizona 6-5 330 Jr. Tafuna, American Samoa
OL Luke Kandra Cincinnati 6-4 323 Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio
OL Dalton Cooper Oklahoma State 6-7 290 Sr. Prague, Okla.
OL Joe Michalski Oklahoma State 6-5 300 Sr. Kansas City, Kan.
OL Wyatt Milum West Virginia 6-6 317 Sr. Kenova, W. Va.
PK Tyler Loop Arizona 6-1 190 Sr. Lucas, Texas
KR/PR Drae McCray Texas Tech 5-9 185 Sr. Tallahassee, Fla.

Defense
Pos Name School Ht Wt Class Hometown
DL Tyler Batty BYU 6-5 275 Sr. Payson, Utah
DL Dontay Corleone Cincinnati 6-1 320 Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio
DL B.J. Green II Colorado 6-1 270 Sr. Powder Springs, Ga.
DL Lee Hunter UCF 6-4 320 Jr. Mobile, Ala.
DL Junior Tafuna Utah 6-3 308 Sr. Taylorsville, Utah
LB Jacob Manu Arizona 5-11 225 Jr. Santa Ana, Calif.
LB Nick Martin Oklahoma State 6-0 210 Jr. Texarkana, Texas
LB Collin Oliver Oklahoma State 6-2 235 Sr. Oklahoma City, Okla.
DB Tacario Davis Arizona 6-4 195 Jr. Long Beach, Calif.
DB Travis Hunter Colorado 6-1 185 Jr. Suwanee, Ga.
DB Jeremiah Cooper Iowa State 6-0 185 Jr. El Paso, Texas
DB Cobee Bryant Kansas 6-0 170 Sr. Evergreen, Ala.
DB Mello Dotson Kansas 6-1 190 Sr. Daytona Beach, Fla.
P Jack Bouwmeester Utah 6-3 197 Jr. Bendigo, Australia