The Big 12 Conference is not what it used to be — that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worse.
The Athletic’s Austin Mock put Kansas State at No. 15 in its preseason Top 25 rankings on July 25, one of five Big 12 teams to make the Top 25 alongside No. 14 Utah, No. 18 Oklahoma State, No. 21 Arizona and No. 23 Kansas — 12 of the top 13 teams in the rankings came from the SEC and Big Ten Conference.
The Big 12 sits at an all-time high of 16 teams after losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC and adding four teams from the Pac-12 Conference with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
Kansas State went 9-4 in 2023 and finished ranked No. 18 in the final AP Poll after defeating No. 19 North Carolina State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. It was the second consecutive year Kansas State finished in the Top 25 following a No. 14 finish in 2024.