Was West Virginia Slighted in Big 12 Preseason Poll Once Again?

The Mountaineers earned some respect, but aren't necessarily thought of as a contender.

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

It's not 14th, but it's still a bit of a slight toward West Virginia. Tuesday afternoon, the Big 12 Conference released its preseason poll, as voted on by the media.

PRESEASON POLL (First Place Votes)

1. Utah (20)

2. Kansas State (19)

3. Oklahoma State (14)

4. Kansas (5)

5. Arizona (3)

6. Iowa State

7. West Virginia

8. UCF

9. Texas Tech

10. TCU

11. Colorado

12. Baylor

13. BYU

14. Cincinnati

15. Houston

16. Arizona State

West Virginia finished the 2023 season in a three-way tie for fourth place with Iowa State and Kansas State while sitting ahead of Kansas. This is without question the most depth the Mountaineers have returned on both sides of the ball and have arguably the best quarterback in the conference.

The fact that West Virginia doesn't place in the top five proves that there are some out there who aren't buying that the Mountaineers are turning the corner following Neal Brown's first winning season (in a full year) since taking over in 2019.

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