Head Coach Gary Pinkel

July 16, 2008

Columbia, Mo. -

With the start of fall camp just 19 days away, the Missouri Tigers have been installed as unanimous pre-season favorites to repeat as Big 12 Conference North Division champions in 2008.  The Tigers earned all 51 votes from league media who participated in the pre-season poll, while Oklahoma earned 49-of-51 votes to come in as the favorite to repeat as South champions.

Mizzou returns 17 starters from its 2007 squad which won a school-record 12 games and won MU's first-ever Big 12 North Division title.  Gary Pinkel's squad went on to throttle Arkansas in the 2008 AT&T Cotton Bowl (38-7), and ended the year ranked 4th in the final Associated Press Top-25 poll, which marked the school's highest-ever final ranking.

Be sure to stay tuned to www.mutigers.com for news and notes concerning the Tiger football program.  The first official fall practice is slated for Aug. 4th, with the annual fan/photo day set for the afternoon of Aug. 10th at Memorial Stadium (time TBA).

The winners of the North and South divisions will square off in the 2008 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Dec. 6, at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The game will be telecast nationally by ABC at 7 p.m. CT.

Big 12 teams will be in Kansas City Monday-Wednesday for the annual Big 12 Football Media Day. The 2008 season opens with a full slate of non-conference games beginning Aug. 28.

North

1.  Missouri (51)                306

2.  Kansas                          234

3.  Nebraska                      183

4.  Colorado                       181

5.  Kansas State                108

6.  Iowa State                       59

South

1.  Oklahoma (49)             304

2.  Texas (2)                       230

3.  Texas Tech                   227

4.  Oklahoma State           140

5.  Texas A&M                   118

6.   Baylor                             52

First-place votes in parentheses