By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / External Communication Strategy
The Weekly Preview
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After posting five wins during Week Zero, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s 10 teams steam into Week 1 of the campaign, highlighted by another Top 25 matchup as No. 5 Colorado State University Pueblo faces No. 23 Fort Hays State University on Thursday night in Kansas.
The ThunderWolves head into Thursday’s battle against the Tigers fresh off a 19-point home win against Central Missouri a week ago. However, CSU Pueblo should expect a fight from Fort Hays State, which downed Angelo State on the road last week, after the two teams played to a one-point decision in Pueblo a year ago.
Western Colorado University also impressed in Week Zero, scoring a dominant win at West Texas A&M. The Mountaineers scored the game’s first 38 points en route to the 52-21 victory. WCU returns to Gunnison ready to face Angelo State, which fell to Fort Hays State, 35-14, in Week Zero.
South Dakota Mines pulled off the RMAC’s biggest win of Week Zero, traveling to Division I FCS foe Drake and scoring a 38-35 victory. The Hardrockers look to build on that win as they host Southwest Baptist on Saturday. New Mexico Highlands and Black Hills State University also scored season-opening wins – the Cowboys head south to meet Western New Mexico on Thursday while the Yellow Jackets host NAIA foe Dakota State on Saturday.
Week 1 Schedule
| Thursday, Sept. 3 |
| New Mexico Highlands at Western New Mexico |
6 p.m. |
FloCollege |
| Angelo State at #11/10 Western Colorado |
6 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| #5/9 CSU Pueblo at #25/23 Fort Hays State |
6 p.m. |
MIAA Network |
| Nebraska-Kearney at Chadron State |
6 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 |
| Colorado School of Mines at Washburn |
11 a.m. |
MIAA Network |
| Dakota State at Black Hills State |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Southwest Baptist at South Dakota Mines |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Colorado Mesa at Eastern New Mexico |
2 p.m. |
FloCollege |
| Arizona Christian at Fort Lewis |
6 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Adams State at Sul Ross State |
7 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
Rankings: AFCA Coaches Poll/D2Football.com Poll. Yellow indicates an RMAC contest.
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 |
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League Highlights
- Adams State running back Andre Branch debuted with a 282-yard rushing performance against Western New Mexico, leading a Grizzlies offense that posted 627 yards, including 476 on the ground in its season opener.
- CSU Pueblo wide receiver Dedrek Taylor-Akins popped 200 yards and three touchdowns against Central Missouri, the top receiving performance in Division II last week.
- 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.
- Western Colorado quarterback Josiah Roy wasted no time making an impression; he needed just nine completions (11 attempts) to pass for 268 yards and four touchdowns at West Texas A&M, with three touchdowns going for 50, 76, and 65 yards.
- New Mexico Highlands quarterback Kadyn Parr was responsible for four of the Cowboys' five touchdowns, passing for three and rushing for another while amassing 287 total offensive yards.
- South Dakota Mines quarterback Gage Baker passed for 306 yards and three touchdowns while running backs Dawson Dunbar and Ty Harris each had 100-yard rushing performances in the Hardrockers’ upset win at Drake.
- Black Hills State quarterback Kade Weber has a hand in all three Yellow Jackets TDs, rushing for two and passing for another in a victory at Sioux Falls.
- Chadron State and Colorado Mesa both surrendered two early touchdowns and were unable to recover in their respective losses. The Eagles could not contain NSIC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Hank Kraft (234 rushing yards, 4 TDs). The Mavericks were unable to solve Minnesota State’s two-man attack under center, with Maximus Sims and Mitchell Thompson passing for a combined 298 yards and three touchdowns.
- Fort Lewis saw its season-opener canceled after the tragic passing of William Jewell running back MicahJo Barnett.
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.
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