LAS VEGAS — For the twelfth straight season, the Boise State football team will have targets on their back.
The Broncos were picked to win the Mountain Division by the Mountain West media, the conference revealed on Tuesday, receiving 15 of the possible 21 first-place votes.
Utah State received the other six.
Boise State has been favored to win their respective league or division every season since 2008.
In that span, the Broncos have backed up preseason expectations by going on to claim at least a share of the conference championship six times.
Since joined the Mountain West in 2011, Boise State has won three league championships: sharing the top spot with Fresno State and San Diego State in 2012, and winning the league outright in 2014 and 2017.
If the preseason media poll holds true, then Boise State would meet Fresno State in the Mountain West Championship Game for a third consecutive year. The two split the previous matchups, with the Bulldogs edging the Broncos 19-16 in overtime last December.
Mountain West Preseason Media Poll
MOUNTAIN DIVISON
1. Boise State - 120 points
2. Utah State (6) - 108 points
3. Air Force - 73 points
4. Wyoming - 66 points
5. Colorado State - 52 points
6. New Mexico - 22 points
WEST DIVISION
1. Fresno State (17) - 122 points
2. San Diego State (3) - 106 points
3. Nevada - 74 points
4. Hawai'i (1) - 67 points
5. UNLV - 51 points
6. San Jose State - 21 points
#TuSTATS
- The Mountain West switched to the divisional format in 2013. The Broncos have been favored to win the Mountain Division every year since, and they have gone on to win the actual division title four times, including the last three straight.
- Boise State will benefit from their in-league cross-over opponents this season (although it certainly won't help their strength of schedule). The Broncos will miss out on playing the top three teams in the media poll during the regular season, and instead will have to deal with Hawai'i, UNLV and San Diego State.
STUD Curtis Weaver picked as the preseason DPOY
Boise State junior Curtis Weaver was named the Mountain West preseason defensive player of the year on Tuesday. Weaver is the first Boise State defender to earn the honor since the Broncos joined the league.
Five other Broncos were also named to the preseason All-Mountain West team - offensive linemen Erza Cleveland, John Molchon, wideout John Hightower, and defensive linemen David Moa and Curtis Weaver.
New Mountain West Conference TV deal in the works
On Tuesday morning, shortly after the preseason accolades were announced, Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson addressed the media. The biggest topic of his address was the new TV deal that the conference is working on.
Thompson was adamant that the new deal will be more lucrative for the league schools than the current TV deal.
A major factor in the new TV deal will be kick-off times. Thompson says that's an issue that he's constantly thinking about addressing.
He expects the new deal will be shorter in legnth than the current deal, due in part to the changing media landscape that is changing how people can watch games this year.
Thompson also said they will continue to negotiate Boise State home games separate from other conference schools, much like how they have in the past.
SCOTT SLANT: It has become an easy pick