The Associated Press released its 2026 preseason Top 25 on Tuesday, and the Kansas State Wildcats did not find a spot on the list. The omission marks a stark contrast to the optimism that surrounded the program just a year earlier.
In the accompanying US LBM Coaches Poll, the Wildcats managed a single vote, while the AP poll recorded none. That lone acknowledgment from coaches underscores a modest level of respect, but it is far from the recognition the team hoped to garner.
The team’s absence from the rankings comes after a 6‑6 record in the previous season, a campaign that saw them drop out of the rankings entirely after beginning the year at No. 17. The regression has prompted analysts to question whether the program can recapture its former momentum.
Big 12 Landscape
Contrastingly, several Big 12 peers entered the preseason conversation with multiple teams — Texas Tech at No. 12, BYU at No. 14, Utah at No. 21 and Houston at No. 23 — all securing spots in the AP Top 25. Their presence reflects a conference that appears deeper and more competitive than in recent years.
Other conference programs such as Arizona, TCU and Oklahoma State each garnered votes in the AP poll, underscoring a competitive depth that left Kansas State on the outside looking in. The scattered votes suggest that while the Wildcats were overlooked, they are not entirely invisible.
The early rankings set the stage for a season that will test the Wildcats’ ability to translate preseason expectations into on‑field performance. With the coaching staff likely focusing on tightening a defense that showed flashes of promise last year, the upcoming schedule will be a crucial proving ground.