Boise State came close, but not close enough to crack the Associated Press preseason Top 25 for the 2026 season.
The Broncos landed at 28th in the opening vote, collecting 43 points. That made them the highest-ranked team from a Group of Six conference and the only program from the new Pac-12 to get a vote.
The next Group of Six team behind Boise State was Navy, which picked up 10 points and checked in 31st overall. Across those leagues - the Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, Conference USA and Mid-American - Boise State stood alone at the top of the vote count.
That preseason number still matters for what’s coming in September. Boise State opens against No.
2 Oregon on Sept. 5 at Autzen Stadium, and the Broncos are expected to walk in as a heavy underdog. Oregon drew 14 first-place votes and sits behind only top-ranked Ohio State, which received 40 first-place votes.
It’s also a rematch of sorts. The last time Boise State played at Autzen Stadium, in 2024, Oregon escaped with a 37-34 win on a last-second field goal.
The Broncos’ early schedule doesn’t get much kinder after that. In Week 2, they host Memphis, which received two points in the poll and was one of only 10 Group of Six programs to earn a vote. Then in Week 4, Boise State goes on the road to Western Michigan, the reigning Mid-American champion, which got one vote.
The broader preseason picture is dominated by the usual heavyweights. Ohio State and Oregon are 1-2, and the SEC leads all conferences with nine teams in the rankings.
Here’s the full AP Top 25 preseason poll, with points and first-place votes in parentheses:
- Ohio State (1,672, 40 first-place votes)
- Oregon (1,597, 14 first-place votes)
- Georgia (1,513)
- Notre Dame (1,510, 6 first-place votes)
- Texas (1,483)
- Indiana (1,440, 8 first-place votes)
- Miami (1,379, 1 first-place vote)
- Texas A&M (1,131)
- Ole Miss (1,102)
- Oklahoma (1,047)
- LSU (988)
- Texas Tech (983)
- Alabama (904)
- BYU (839)
- USC (839)
- Michigan (718)
- Washington (501)
- Penn State (482)
- SMU (434)
- Tennessee (394)
- Utah (304)
- Iowa (260)
- Houston (252)
- Louisville (194)
- Missouri (117)
In Other News...
Boise State Home Games Are About To Look Very Different
Boise State fans who have gotten used to a fairly traditional look on the blue turf are about to see a different kind of visual footprint at home. Progressive has signed a multiyear sponsorship deal that will put its logo on the football fields of 13 college programs, with Learfield brokering the agreement and adding in-game video board features, in-venue LED signage and digital media integrations to the package.
The branding is slated to arrive in 2026, which means the Broncos will be part of a broader rollout that also includes USC and other schools. For Boise State, it is another reminder that even a program with one of college footballs most recognizable home fields is now being pulled into the sports growing appetite for commercial inventory. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Pac-12 Move Just Cleared A Massive Financial Hurdle
The legal fight over Boise States path to the Pac-12 has finally been put to bed. The Mountain West Conference, the Pac-12 and five departing schools reached a settlement that resolves the litigation tied to the move, ending a dispute that had lingered for nearly three years and had kept a major piece of conference realignment in limbo.
For Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State, the agreement clears the way to move forward while sorting out the financial terms behind the exit. The settlement includes exit fees, withheld distributions and possible poaching penalties, giving both leagues and the schools a final framework after a long standoff that had threatened to stretch on even longer. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Freshmen Are Already Forcing A Big Oregon Week Decision
Boise States highest-rated recruiting class in program history is already doing more than filling out the future. During fall camp, several freshmen have put themselves into the conversation for real roles, giving the staff a first look at how quickly the 2026 group can translate recruiting buzz into game-ready depth. Jones, Favors, Browne, Taylor and Soliai have all been part of that evaluation, with coaches sorting through readiness, physical traits and where each player fits best.
The early returns matter because Boise State does not have the luxury of waiting long to sort out its young talent. Some of these freshmen are pushing toward immediate contribution, and the way they handle camp will shape how much trust the Broncos can place in them when the season begins. There is already a sense that one of the biggest decisions of the opening stretch could come before the Broncos ever settle into the fall, which makes this a class worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]