2021 RMAC Football Preseason Poll Announced
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) preseason football poll has been released, the league announced Wednesday. Colorado School of Mines stands atop the preseason poll after a vote by the league’s 10 football head coaches.
After garnering 76 points in the preseason vote, the Orediggers head into the 2021 season as the favorites after capturing seven first-place votes. Colorado School of Mines returns 15 starters from the 2019 season, including junior quarterback John Matocha. Matocha led the Orediggers to a 12-1 overall record and a perfect 10-0 mark in RMAC conference play to snag the 2019 RMAC regular-season title. In the 2019 season, Colorado School of Mines led the nation in third down conversion percentage defense (.243), ranked second in the NCAA for passing completion percentage (.706), ranked fourth in the country for first downs (325) and ranked fifth in the nation for time of possession (33:28).
In the second-place position is Colorado State University Pueblo with 70 points and a pair of first-place votes. The Thunderwolves closed out the 2019 campaign with an 11-2 overall record and a 9-1 mark in conference play, setting up an NCAA playoff appearance. CSU Pueblo finished the 2019 season ranked first in the nation for defensive touchdowns (9) and turnovers gained (39).
Chadron State rounds out the top three, earning 62 points in preseason voting. Colorado Mesa occupies the fourth-place spot with 56 points, followed by Western Colorado with 43 points. South Dakota Mines sits in sixth place with 37 points, while Adams State is seventh with 34 points and one first-place vote. New Mexico Highlands (31 points), Black Hills State (23 points) and Fort Lewis (18 points) round out the preseason poll.
The 2021 season begins Thursday, Sept. 2, with five schools from around the league in non-conference action at home, including Black Hills State, Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo and South Dakota Mines. The remaining five RMAC schools open their seasons Saturday, Sept. 4, where Fort Lewis hosts New Mexico Highlands, Western Colorado hosts Chadron State and Adams State begins its non-conference schedule against Western New Mexico.
2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Poll
| School (First-place votes) |
Points |
| 1. Colorado School of Mines (7) |
76 |
| 2. Colorado State University Pueblo (2) |
70 |
| 3. Chadron State |
62 |
| 4. Colorado Mesa |
56 |
| 5. Western Colorado |
43 |
| 6. South Dakota Mines |
37 |
| 7. Adams State (1) |
34 |
| 8. New Mexico Highlands |
31 |
| 9. Black Hills State |
23 |
| 10. Fort Lewis |
18 |