July 30, 2004
COLUMBIA, Mo. - For the first time since 1980, the University of Missouri football team is ranked in a preseason poll.
Mizzou is No. 17 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today/AFCA Coaches Poll after collecting 502 total votes. That is just one point behind Clemson, and puts MU third among schools that finished the 2003 season unranked. Oklahoma leads the contingent of four Big 12 schools with its No. 2 ranking, while rival Texas sits at No. 8. Kansas State, who most pundits figure to be the primary competition for the Big 12 North title, are ranked 13th.
It is believed to be the first time the Tigers have been ranked at the beginning of the season since earning the same No. 17 ranking in the 1980 Associated Press preseason poll. MU was last ranked by the coaches in last year's Oct. 26 poll (No. 24).
The Tigers are coming off an exciting 8-5 season that sent Mizzou to its first bowl game since 1999. Single-game tickets for the 2004 season will be available for purchase online tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9 a.m. at www.MUTigers.com, and in person or over the phone (1-800-CAT-PAWS) starting Monday at 8 a.m. Tickets remain for each of MU's six home games.
2004 ESPN/USA Today/AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll
| RK | TEAM (1st) | REC | PTS | LY |
| 1. | Southern California (44) | 12-1 | 1,500 | 2 |
| 2. | Oklahoma (12) | 12-2 | 1,426 | 3 |
| 3. | LSU (5) | 13-1 | 1,387 | 1 |
| 4. | Georgia | 11-3 | 1,328 | 6 |
| 5. | Miami (Fla.) | 11-2 | 1,246 | 5 |
| 6. | Florida State | 10-3 | 1,177 | 10 |
| 7. | Michigan | 10-3 | 1,128 | 7 |
| 8. | Texas | 10-3 | 1,087 | 11 |
| 9. | Ohio State | 11-2 | 1,030 | 4 |
| 10. | Florida | 8-5 | 691 | 25 |
| 11. | West Virginia | 8-5 | 684 | NR |
| 12. | Iowa | 10-3 | 642 | 8 |
| 13. | Kansas State | 11-4 | 639 | 13 |
| 14. | Tennessee | 10-3 | 598 | 16 |
| 15. | California | 8-6 | 566 | NR |
| 16. | Clemson | 9-4 | 503 | 22 |
| 17. | MIZZOU | 8-5 | 502 | NR |
| 18. | Auburn | 8-5 | 473 | NR |
| 19. | Virginia | 8-5 | 453 | NR |
| 20. | Maryland | 10-3 | 443 | 20 |
| 21. | Utah | 10-2 | 438 | 21 |
| 22. | Wisconsin | 7-6 | 248 | NR |
| 23. | Minnesota | 10-3 | 187 | 17 |
| Purdue | 9-4 | 187 | 19 | |
| 25. | Oregon | 8-5 | 175 | NR |
Also Receiving Votes: Nebraska (10-3) 151; Oregon State (8-5) 101; Boise State (13-1) 99; Washington State (10-3) 86; North Carolina State (8-5) 84; Louisville (9-4) 78; Virginia Tech (8-5) 62; TCU (11-2) 50; Oklahoma State (8-5) 41; Toledo (8-4) 33; Memphis (9-4) 27; Georgia Tech (7-6) 25; Notre Dame (5-7) 25; Bowling Green (11-3) 22; Brigham Young (4-8) 21; Miami (Ohio) (13-1) 21; Fresno State (9-5) 17; Michigan State (8-5) 16; Pittsburgh (8-5) 14; Marshall (8-4) 13; Alabama (4-9) 12; Arkansas (9-4) 12; Boston College (8-5) 10; Northern Illinois (10-2) 10; San Diego State (6-6) 8; Colorado State (7-6) 7; Mississippi (10-3) 7; UCLA (6-7) 7; Texas Tech (8-5) 6; Hawaii (9-5) 5; Texas A&M (4-8) 5; Southern Mississippi (9-4) 4; Penn State (3-9) 2; Air Force (7-5) 1; Arizona (2-10) 1; Arizona State (5-7) 1; Connecticut (9-3) 1; New Mexico (8-5) 1; Washington (6-6) 1.