Three-peat incoming? Boise State picked to win 2025 Mountain West football championship

Mountain West football media days kicked off on Wednesday morning with the unveiling of the annual preseason media poll. 

To no surprise, Boise State — the conference’s two-time defending champion — was a near-unanimous choice to claim another conference title. 

The Broncos received 35 of 39 possible first-place votes and earned 464 overall points in the poll. It’s the 18th straight year Boise State has been selected as the preseason favorite dating back to its time in the Western Athletic Conference. 

Boise State finished 12-2 overall last season under MWC coach of the year Spencer Danielson and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. The Broncos checked in at No. 8 in the final AP top 25, the program’s highest final ranking since 2011. 

UNLV was awarded the other four first-place votes and earned 415 total points to come in second in the media poll behind Boise State. The Rebels were also picked to finish second in 2024.

Boise State and UNLV have faced off in the last two MWC championship games. The Broncos won the 2023 meeting, 44-20, at Allegiant Stadium and secured a 21-7 victory in a title game rematch last December at Albertsons Stadium. 

The Rebels are coming off an 11-3 season under previous head coach Barry Odom, who is now at Purdue. UNLV hired Dan Mullen to take over for Odom. 

UNLV finished No. 23 in the final 2024 AP top 25. 

Boise State is set to host the Rebels on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Albertsons Stadium. 

The 2025 MWC championship game will be held on Friday, Dec. 5 at the home stadium of the team with the best winning percentage in conference play. FOX will televise the MWC championship game for the sixth straight year. 

The Broncos, who joined the MWC for the 2011 football season, are a six-time MWC champion: 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024. Boise State will be going for a three-peat in its final MWC season.

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are all leaving the MWC for the Pac-12 next summer.

Here are the full results of the 2025 MWC preseason media poll: 

1. Boise State (35 first-place votes), 464 points

2. UNLV (4 first-place votes), 415 points

3. San Jose State, 359 points

4. Colorado State, 326 points 

5. Fresno State, 301 points

6. Air Force, 280 points 

7. Hawaii, 213 points

8. San Diego State, 202 points

9. Utah State, 165 points

10. Wyoming, 150 points

11. New Mexico, 84 points

12. Nevada, 83 points