Boise State opens the Pac-12 era as the team to beat

Here are the full results of the Pac-12 preseason media poll

Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boise State spent 15 seasons in the Mountain West Conference. 

In all 15 seasons, the Broncos were picked to win the MWC in the preseason media poll. Boise State went on to capture the MWC title seven times: 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2023-25. 

Coming off a MWC three-peat, Boise State is once again the preseason media favorite in Year 1 of the reborn Pac-12. 

The Broncos received 14 of 16 first-place votes from a panel of 16 media members covering the Pac-12’s eight football-playing schools. Tyler King of The Denver Gazette organized the poll. 

Here are the full results of the Pac-12 media poll. First-place votes are in parentheses. 

1. Boise State (14)

2. San Diego State (1)

3. Fresno State (1)

4. Texas State

5. Washington State

T-6. Colorado State

T-6. Utah State

8. Oregon State

Boise State senior edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors from the 16-person panel. Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson was the Preseason Coach of the Year while Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson was voted Offensive Player of the Year. 

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Virgin-Morgan has logged 120 total tackles (31 for loss), 16 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three pass breakups during his Boise State career. He has 45 career appearances and 34 starts. 

The Broncos, who finished 12-2 overall in 2024 en route to the program’s first College Football Playoff berth, are coming off a 9-5 season and an LA Bowl loss to Washington. Boise State finished the regular season in a four-way tie atop the MWC standings with New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV and was selected for the MWC title game alongside the Rebels due to computer rankings tiebreakers. 

For the third straight year, the Broncos defeated UNLV in the MWC championship game. 

Fresno State and San Diego State each received one first-place vote. Both programs won nine games a season ago and are expecting to compete for the Pac-12 crown in 2026. 

Here is the 16-member Pac-12 preseason media poll panel: 

• Nathan Carroll (Bronco Nation News)

• Keff Ciardello (Win Now or Get Bent)

• Les Gehrett (Corvallis Gazette-Times)

• Kirk Kenney (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• Tyler King (The Denver Gazette)

• Kevin Lytle (Fort Collins Coloradoan)

• Patrick Mayhorn (The Aggship)

• Justin Michael (DNVR Sports)

• Jackson Moore (247Sports)

• B.J. Rains (Bronco Nation News)

• Al Scott (Fresno Sports Magazine)

• Chris Vannini (The Athletic)

• Jamey Vinnick (CougFan.com)

• Jason Walker (Cache Valley Daily)

• Greg Woods (Spokane Spokesman-Review)

• Caleb Yum (Austin American-Statesman)