Both BYU and Utah will be ranked to start the 2026 college football season in the preseason US LBM Coaches Top 25 Poll.
The first rankings of the year were released Tuesday, and they have BYU at No. 15 and Utah at No. 21 in the rankings.
The Cougars were ranked No. 23 in the coaches poll to start the 2025 season, while Utah was unranked entering the season.
BYU finished the 2025 season ranked No. 12 in the coaches poll, after going 12-2, including 8-1 in Big 12 regular-season action, playing in the Big 12 championship game and winning the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Utah, meanwhile, finished last season ranked No. 14 in the coaches poll following a year where the Utes went 11-2 with a Las Vegas Bowl victory and were 7-2 in Big 12 play.
The Cougars and Utes are expected to be strong contenders for the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth this season.
How many Big 12 teams are in the preseason US LBM Coaches Top 25 Poll?
In addition to BYU and Utah, defending Big 12 champion Texas Tech and Houston are also in the preseason coaches top 25.
The Red Raiders are the highest-ranked conference team, three spots ahead of BYU at No. 12, while Houston comes in at No. 24.
Texas Tech won the Big 12 title and played in the CFP quarterfinals last year in a 12-2 season, while Houston went 10-3 and was one of three Big 12 teams who went 6-3 in league play.
TCU, with 63 votes, Arizona (50), Oklahoma State (22), Arizona State (8) and Kansas State (1) were among other teams receiving votes in the poll.
Who are the top five teams in the preseason coaches top 25?
The top of the poll has Ohio State at No. 1, Oregon at No. 2, Georgia at No. 3, Texas at No. 4 and Notre Dame at No. 5.
The Fighting Irish play at BYU on Oct. 17 in the biggest Big 12 nonconference game of the season.
Defending national champion Indiana is ranked No. 6, and Miami, which lost to the Hoosiers in last year’s national title game, is No. 7.