By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / External Communication Strategy
The Weekly Preview
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After posting a 13-5-1 record in nonconference play, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s 10 football squads turn their attention to the race for the 2026 RMAC Championship with the start of league play on Saturday.
The RMAC slate opens with two early defining games. Defending champion and nationally-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo hosts Colorado School of Mines, while nationally-ranked Western Colorado University hosts 2026 runner-up Chadron State College in an evening affair.
The Orediggers face a daunting task in their trip to Pueblo, meeting a ThunderWolves team that owns Division II’s longest active conference winning streak (25). However, Colorado School of Mines can take solace that it was also the last RMAC team to defeat CSU Pueblo, doing so at the ThunderBowl in 2024.
Western Colorado looks to return the favor when Chadron State visits Mojo Stadium on Saturday. The Eagles pulled off a 27-24 overtime win last year in Chadron to stay in the championship hunt while ending the Mountaineers' hopes. It was Chadron State’s first win in the series since 2018, ending WCU’s five-game win streak. However, the Mountaineers have won the last four meetings in Gunnison, last falling to the Eagles at home in 2017.
Black Hills State University, New Mexico Highlands University, and South Dakota Mines – the RMAC’s other teams with 2-0 marks entering the week – all look to get off to positive starts in league play. The Hardrockers host Colorado Mesa University, the Yellow Jackets host Adams State University, New Mexico Highlands travels to Fort Lewis College.
Week 2 Schedule
| Saturday, Sept. 12 |
| Colorado Mesa at South Dakota Mines |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Adams State at (RV) Black Hills State |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Colorado School of Mines at #5/7 CSU Pueblo |
2 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Chadron State at #8/8 Western Colorado |
6 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| New Mexico Highlands at Fort Lewis |
6 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
Rankings: AFCA Coaches Poll/D2Football.com Poll. Yellow indicates an RMAC contest. (RV) indicates the team was receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
RMAC Weekly Award Winners
| Week |
Offensive |
Defensive |
Special Teams |
| Week 0 |
Andre Branch, ASU
21 att., 282 yds, 3 TDs vs. WNMU |
Carter Daniels, CSUP
16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, Pick-6 vs. Central Mo. |
JT Miller, WCU
10 pts, 1-1 FG, 7-7 PATs at WTAM |
| Week 1 |
Jayden Williams, BHSU
12 rec., 206 yds, 2 TDs vs. DSU |
Jarred Marquez, CSC
11 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 PBU |
Triston Hite, CSC
6 punts, 45.3 avg, 4 inside 20 |
| Week 2 |
|
|
|
| Week 3 |
|
|
|
| Week 4 |
|
|
|
| Week 5 |
|
|
|
| Week 6 |
|
|
|
| Week 7 |
|
|
|
| Week 8 |
|
|
|
| Week 9 |
|
|
|
| Week 10 |
|
|
|
| Week 11 |
|
|
|
| Week 12 |
|
|
|
RMAC’s 10 D2 wins 2nd in Division II
The RMAC’s 10 wins against fellow Division II teams rank second among all D2 conferences after two weeks, trailing only the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s 11 nonconference Division II victories. The RMAC leads the group of four conferences in Super Region 4, with the Lone Star Conference at 4-10 and the Mid-America Athletic Association at 5-7-1 against other D2 foes. The Great America Conference does not play any nonconference teams during its season.
Chadron State’s Hite Nabs D2Football Weekly Nod
For a second consecutive week, an RMAC student-athlete claimed one of D2Football.com’s weekly honors as Chadron State’s Triston Hite was the site’s National Special Teams Player of the Week after Week 1 action. Hite averaged 45.3 yards on six punts with four downed inside the 20-yard line in the Eagles' win against Nebraska-Kearney.
CSU Pueblo’s Daniels claims Week Zero State & National Honors
CSU Pueblo linebacker Carter Daniels, the RMAC’s Defensive Player of the Week in Week Zero, also claimed the NFF Colorado Chapter’s Player of the Week and the D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week honor. He began his ThunderWolves career with a 16-tackle effort against Central Missouri that included 1.5 sacks and a fourth-quarter pick-six.
The 10 Summits
- Adams State running back Andre Branch debuted with a 282-yard rushing performance against Western New Mexico. He was held to 78 yards last week against Western New Mexico, but enters conference play ranked fourth among Division II rushers with 360 yards.
- CSU Pueblo wide receiver Dedrek Taylor-Akins popped 200 yards and three touchdowns against Central Missouri during the opening weekend and followed that with 103 yards on the road at Fort Hays State. He is third among Division II receivers with 303 receiving yards.
- Colorado School of Mines wideout Pierce Richards hauled in a Division II-best 18 receptions for 153 yards and a score against nationally-ranked Western Oregon to begin 2026. He tacked on five receptions for 43 yards at Washburn and is third among Division II receivers with 11.5 receptions per game.
- Western Colorado quarterback Josiah Roy breaks into the Division II passing efficiency leaders this week, settling into the No. 2 spot with a 232.0 rating. He was 24-of-33 passing for 390 yards and six touchdowns without throwing an interception in the Mountaineers' two nonconference games.
- New Mexico Highlands offense has been highly efficient in its 2-0 start. The Cowboys rank fifth among Division II teams in yards per play, averaging 8.1 yards with their 122 plays going for 990 offensive yards. They rank ninth in total yardage and 22nd in total plays.
- South Dakota Mines running back Dawson Dunbar has opened 2026 with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. He opened the season with 120 yards and 2 TDs in the Hardrockers' upset win at Drake. Dunbar followed that with 138 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries against Southwest Baptist.
- Black Hills State quarterback Kade Weber leads all RMAC quarterbacks with three rushing touchdowns this season and ranks fourth overall in touchdowns scored. He has also passed for three touchdowns and a two-point conversion and is second in the RMAC with 38 points responsible for.
- Chadron State’s Devon Sundgren made the most of his three receptions against Nebraska-Kearney, breaking out for 144 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown reception. With 160 yards on just five receptions, he ranks second among Division II receivers with 32.0 yards per reception.
- Colorado Mesa is winning the battle of the clock so far this season, leading all RMAC teams with 36:36 time of possession – ninth best in Division II. The Mavericks klicked off the season with a dominant 40:35 of possession in a win against Eastern New Mexico and also won that battle with 32:36 in a loss to nationally-ranked Minnesota State last week.
- Fort Lewis opened its season with a win against Arizona Christian last week in a game dominated by the kickers for the opening 42-plus minutes. Fort Lewis closed with three unanswered touchdowns in the final 17:19 to secure the win.
NCAA Division II Championship Field Selection Moves to NPI
New for 2026, the NCAA Division II Championship Field Selection will be determined by the NCAA Power Index (NPI). Used in Division III for the past two seasons, the NPI will replace the NCAA’s Regional Advisory Committees across most team sports during the 2026-27 season.
The NPI is a system that objectively applies the selection criteria to data based on the sport committee’s established weighted criteria. NPI is a combination of the following: winning percentage, strength of schedule, home-away multiplier, quality win bonus, and minimum wins.
The first NPI will be released on Mondays four weeks before Selection Sunday in each sport, with the first football NPI release on Monday, Oct. 19. In the two weeks before Selection Sunday, the NPI will be updated daily.
Nine RMAC Athletes Included in D2Football.com Preseason Top 100
D2Football.com released its Preseason Elite 100 list of Division II’s top football athletes, with RMAC student-athletes earning six spots. Western Colorado linebacker Ian Loomis, Colorado Mesa defensive back Gibson Leafgreen, and Colorado School of Mines punter Lucas LeSieur earned second-team recognition. CSU Pueblo wide receiver Marcellus Honeycutt Jr., Chadron State defensive lineman William Stemler, and Western Colorado defensive lineman Drew Johnson.
Two RMAC Kickers Named to Fred Mitchell Award Watch List
The Fred Mitchell Award Selection Committee released its 2026 Preseason Watch List for the 18th edition of the award, which recognizes the nation’s top place-kickers competing outside the Division I ranks. Colorado School of Mines’ Preston Kyle and CSU Pueblo’s Jackson Smith were two of 12 Division II place-kickers recognized on the list.
RMAC Preseason Poll
Two-time defending champion Colorado State University Pueblo is again picked as the preseason favorite in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll released in late July.
CSU Pueblo received eight of a possible nine first-place votes, and one second-place vote, to amass 80 of a possible maximum 81 points to lead the 2026 preseason poll. The ThunderWolves had three athletes named to the preseason team, led by wide receiver Marcellus Honeycutt Jr., who returns after earning Second-Team All-RMAC recognition last season.
Western Colorado University, which reached the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs last season, was picked second in the poll with one first-place vote and 69 points. The Mountaineers led all teams with seven returning student-athletes, including two offensive linemen from the 2025 First Team All-RMAC, named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team.
Colorado School of Mines (62 points), Chadron State (60) and Colorado Mesa (52) rounded out the top half of the preseason poll. New Mexico Highlands University led the second half of the 10-team poll with 38 points and were followed by South Dakota Mines (34 points), Black Hills State University (29), Fort Lewis College (16), and Adams State University (10).
RMAC Preseason Squad
Four 2025 First Team All-RMAC honorees return to lead the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC unit. Western Colorado offensive linemen Taylor Nichols and Joseph Shepardson, Black Hills State kick returner Bryce Coulson, and Colorado School of Mines long snapper Josh Hildebrand. They were joined by 14 returning Second Team All-RMAC selections, including New Mexico Highlands outside linebacker Dontaivious Nelson, who returns after earning the league’s Defensive Freshman of the Year honor last season.
RMAC Championships
Western Colorado (19, 2021); Colorado School of Mines (16, 2023); Colorado Mesa (12, 2017); CSU Pueblo (10, 2025); Chadron State (8, 2008); Adams State (7, 1989); New Mexico Highlands (2, 1999); and Fort Lewis (1, 1984).
(Championships won and the last year the program won or shared a championship)
RMAC Network PPV
All RMAC football games broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members are available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. A discounted annual subscription price is available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league’s membership to enhance their programs. Visit RMACNetwork.com/Purchase for more information and to subscribe.
About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 71 national championships since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.
# EverythingElevated #