Brett Yormark Explains Why Big 12 Football Did Away with Preseason Polls

FRISCO, Texas — The Big 12 Conference made news earlier this offseason by doing away with the traditional preseason media poll.

At the same time, the league also did away with the preseason coaches’ poll.

On Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days at The Star, commissioner Brett Yormark explained why the league did away with both polls — and it had a lot to do with what happened last year.

“Arizona State was picked 16th last year,” Yormark said. “I think that hurt them [in the CFP standings] … no one really knows what will happen until they take the field.”

Yormark also cited the transfer portal and roster turnovers as other reasons for doing away with the poll. He noted that the decision was just for football and that the coaches had a say in whether to continue the poll.

The Sun Devils went 11-3 in 2024 and won the Big 12 Conference, earning an automatic bid in the College Football Playoff.

But Arizona State started the season unranked and remained unranked until November.

The Sun Devils didn’t get into the AP Top 25 until the poll for the week of Nov. 17 when they were ranked No. 21. At the time, they were 8-2.

From there, Arizona State was ranked in the final three polls of the regular season and championship weekend, and the Sun Devils rose to No. 10 after winning the Big 12 title game. They finished No. 7 in the final poll after the CFP, even though the Sun Devils lost to Texas in the quarterfinals at the Peach Bowl.

In the CFP rankings, which weren’t released weekly until the week of Nov. 5, the Sun Devils were not ranked. Two weeks later, Arizona State was ranked No. 21, and it was No. 12 in the final poll that determined the field.

But, because ASU won the league title, it was seeded No. 4. Under this season’s format, which is straight seeding, the Sun Devils would have been seeded No. 12 and would have played the No. 5 seed on the road.