Big 12 Media Days began Tuesday in Frisco, Texas, as the league gears up for another highly competitive season. For the first time in years, the Big 12 won’t issue an official preseason media poll for 2025. It’s a move commissioner Brett Yormark attributed to concerns over how polls impacted Arizona State’s perception last season, when the Sun Devils were picked last but went on to win the conference title.
No poll? No problem. 247Sports has filled that gap by surveying its Big 12 team site staffers for a composite projected order of finish heading into the 2025 season.
The consensus reveals a conference wide open and full of potential. Arizona State leads the pack as the reigning conference champion, returning more starters than any Power Four program and looking to build on its surprising College Football Playoff run. Yet the margin between the top teams remains razor-thin, with Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas Tech all receiving first-place votes. The infusion of transfer talent and experienced quarterbacks across the league makes for one of the most unpredictable Big 12 seasons yet.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma State is deep into rebuilding after a tough 2024 campaign that saw the Cowboys go winless in conference play. Mike Gundy now faces the daunting task of blending more than 60 new players into the roster to restore stability. At the same time, UCF and West Virginia turn to familiar faces in hopes of revival, welcoming back Scott Frost and Rich Rodriguez to lead their respective programs.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, seven Big 12 teams enter the 2025 season with odds of +1000 or better to win the conference title, compared to 12 teams from the other three power conferences combined. This depth of contenders highlights just how wide open and fiercely competitive the Big 12 race is shaping up to be.
All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
1. Arizona State
233 points | 5 first-place votes
Arizona State enters the 2025 season as the team to beat in the Big 12. The reigning conference champions return 17 starters — more than any other Power Four team, keeping nearly every key player from last year’s surprising College Football Playoff run. While the loss of star running back Cam Skattebo stings, quarterback Sam Leavitt, who showcased impressive playmaking last season, leads the charge once again. | Conference title odds: +600
2. Kansas State
231 points | 5 first-place votes
Kansas State is banking on quarterback Avery Johnson to make a sophomore leap after an up-and-down 2024 campaign cost the Wildcats a shot at the Big 12 title game. Still, his dual-threat talent gives the offense plenty of upside. With four straight eight-win seasons under coach Chris Klieman, Kansas State remains one of the Big 12’s most steady contenders in a league built on parity. | Conference title odds: +600
T-3. Texas Tech
213 points | 4 first-place votes
Texas Tech is pushing its chips to the center in 2025, fueled by a bold NIL strategy that helped land the No. 2 transfer class in the country. With a reported $10 million poured into roster upgrades, the Red Raiders didn’t just plug holes — they built a contender. After years of hovering in the middle of the Big 12 pack, Texas Tech has the firepower to make a serious run at its first 10-win season since the Mike Leach era. | Conference title odds: +650
T-3. Baylor
213 points | 1 first-place vote
Did Dave Aranda reignite Baylor in 2024? A six-game win streak to end the regular season raised hopes, but whether it marks a true turnaround remains to be seen. Quarterback Sawyer Robertson returns after a breakout campaign with 3,000-plus passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He leads a veteran offense that includes standout running back Bryson Washington. If the defense takes a step forward, Baylor could be back in the Big 12 title mix. | Conference title odds: +650
5. Iowa State
191 points | 1 first-place vote
Coming off the first double-digit win season in program history, the Cyclones return one of the highest numbers of starters (14) in the country and have a proven quarterback in Rocco Becht to lead the way. If incoming transfer Chase Sowell can help fill the void left at receiver, then Iowa State should build on last season’s breakthrough and find itself firmly in the league title race. Matt Campbell has already taken the program to new heights and 2025 has potential to be another milestone year. | Conference title odds: +1000
6. Utah
176 points
After a disappointing campaign, Utah enters 2025 with a renewed sense of urgency and the tools to bounce back. Longtime coach Kyle Whittingham retooled the offense, hiring former New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck and landing dynamic dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier out of the portal. If the revamped offense finds rhythm, the Utes’ physical brand of football could put them in the Big 12 title hunt. | Conference title odds: +600
7. TCU
158 points
There’s a quiet confidence building in Fort Worth heading into 2025. With Josh Hoover entrenched as the starter, TCU has stability at quarterback. The Horned Frogs led the Big 12 in total offense last year and should remain explosive if the new pieces mesh. On defense, steady gains down the stretch in 2024 — plus a strong core returning — point to a team ready to reassert itself. | Conference title odds: +800
8. Kansas
140 points
Quarterback Jalon Daniels enters his sixth season at Kansas, leading a team ready to rebound in 2025. After narrowly missing a bowl game last year, Daniels’ veteran experience will be key in directing an offense now under the guidance of new coordinators Jim Zebrowski and Matt Lubick. | Conference title odds: +1600
9. BYU
137 points
Speculation regarding the future of BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff continues to swirl as the 2025 season approaches. Retzlaff is expected to leave the program rather than serve a lengthy suspension for violation of the school’s honor code. What once looked like a promising season now hangs in the balance, with more questions than answers heading into July. | Conference title odds: +1800
10. Colorado
127 points
Deion Sanders faces a new challenge in 2025 as he leads Colorado without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, both now in the NFL. The Buffaloes are expected to take a step back after losing their leaders. The quarterback battle continues between former Liberty standout Kaidon Salter and highly touted freshman Julian Lewis. Colorado also boasts the Big 12’s No. 2 transfer class, bringing in fresh talent ready to make an impact in a season full of uncertainty. | Conference title odds: +3000
11. Houston
81 points
Houston may have finished near the bottom of the Big 12 in 2024, but the Cougars showed signs of growth that could carry into 2025 under coach Willie Fritz. With transfer quarterback Conner Weigman on board, the key will be whether he can recapture the form that made him a five-star recruit. If so, Houston could make a notable leap forward this season. | Conference title odds: +2900
12. Cincinnati
76 points
It is a make-or-break campaign for third-year Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield, who has missed out on a bowl game in four of the past five years dating back to his time at Louisville. Returning quarterback Brendan Sorsby and stud defensive tackle Dontay Corleone give the Bearcats two proven leaders, but questions remain about whether the supporting cast is strong enough to turn things around. | Conference title odds: +2800
13. Oklahoma State
74 points
The preseason outlook is unusually grim for Oklahoma State after the Cowboys went winless in Big 12 play for the first time in 30 years. Mike Gundy has built his program on continuity and culture, but with more than 60 newcomers on the 2025 roster, a full reset was unavoidable. The challenge now is whether this revamped group can jell quickly enough to restore some stability in Stillwater. | Conference title odds: +5000
14. West Virginia
61 points
West Virginia turned back the clock in 2025, bringing Rich Rodriguez back to Morgantown for a second stint as head coach. Tasked with reviving a program in transition, Rodriguez inherits the second-largest transfer haul among Power Four schools. | Conference title odds: +4200
15. UCF
38 points
Which Scott Frost returns to UCF in 2025: the rising star who led the Knights to a perfect season in 2017, or the one who never found his footing at Nebraska? UCF is a program searching for identity. His return brings familiarity, but turning that nostalgia into wins may prove far more difficult the second time around. | Conference title odds: +6000
16. Arizona
35 points
Quarterback Noah Fifita returns to lead Arizona backed by 11 other starters from last season. But while the Wildcats boast continuity, second-year coach Brent Brennan still faces the challenge of elevating a team that too often ran hot and cold. To contend in a deep Big 12, Arizona will need steadier execution, not just flashes of potential. | Conference title odds: +5000
