July 18, 2005

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

DALLAS -- Colorado was picked to win the North division and Texas the South in a preseason poll of media that cover the Big 12 Conference.

Colorado returns 18 starters off of last year's Big 12 North championship team that went 8-5 and won the EV1.net Houston Bowl. The Buffs received 25 first place votes out of a possible 50 media ballots. Iowa State was picked second followed by Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas State and Kansas.

Texas has 17 starters back from last year's 11-1 squad that won the Rose Bowl and finished runner-up to Oklahoma in the Big 12 South. The Longhorns tallied 40 first place votes in the preseason poll. Defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma was chosen second followed by Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor.

The winners of the North and South divisions will square off for the 2005 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Dec. 3, at Houston's Reliant Stadium. The game will be telecast nationally by ABC at 12 p.m. CT.

Big 12 teams will be in Houston Tuesday-Thursday for the annual Big 12 Football Media Day. The regular season gets underway with a full slate of non-conference games on Sept. 3.

2005 Big 12 Media Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote)

North Division
1.	Colorado (25)	257
2.	Iowa State (14)	231
3.	Nebraska (5)	204
4.	Missouri (5)	170
5.	Kansas State (1)	111
6.	Kansas	78
South Division
1.	Texas (40)	287
2.	Oklahoma (9)	248
3.	Texas A&M (1)	195
4.	Texas Tech	162
5.	Oklahoma State	104
6.	Baylor	51

(first place votes in parenthesis)