The Big 12 released its predicted order of finish ahead of the 2024 season as voted on by the media on Tuesday. New conference member Utah was atop the poll, earning 20 first-place votes and 906 overall points to edge out second-place Kansas State. The Wildcats earned 19 first-place votes and 889 overall points, while Oklahoma State garnered 14 first-place votes and 829 overall points. Kansas (five) and Arizona (three) were the other programs that received a first-place vote to round out the top five.
The conference will welcome Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah in 2024, less than a year after adding Cincinnati, BYU, Houston, and UCF. The Big 12 will have 16 total members in 2024, the largest in conference history, after Texas and Oklahoma departed for the SEC. While the preseason poll favored newcomers Utah and Arizona, it didn’t show much faith in Colorado and Arizona State to compete for a conference title in Year 1. Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes were tabbed to finish 11th, while ASU was picked to finish last.
The Big 12 Championship Game will take place on Dec. 7 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, featuring the top two teams based on conference records. Last year, Texas defeated Oklahoma State 49-21 to win its first outright conference title since 2009. The Longhorns went on to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff before falling to Washington in the CFP semifinals.