Colorado Mines and Western Colorado were ranked in the D2football.com poll, as announced on August 18 during the Inside D2 Football broadcast. Tony Nicollete, Kris Ferguson, Chuck Bitner, Matt Witwicki, and Justin Polizzi reviewed for the Elite 100 watch list in NCAA Division II football and revealed the preseason Top 25.
Colorado Mines, the national NCAA Division II runner-up the past two seasons, is listed as No. 7 in the preseason poll, with Western Colorado ranked No. 19. In the American Football Coaches Association poll announced earlier in August, Mines was ranked fifth, and Western Colorado 15th.
CSU Pueblo, listed 35th in the coaches poll, plays two of the D2football.com top teams at home at the start of September. The ThunderWolves host No. 16 Texas Permian Basin on September 7, followed by a ThunderBowl meeting with No. 5 Grand Valley State on September 14.
During the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season, Colorado Mines hosts Western Colorado on October 26 in Golden and plays at CSU Pueblo on November 9. In between those two games, Western Colorado hosts CSU Pueblo in Gunnison on November 2.
Here is the timing for discussing the Elite 100 and the preseason top 25 during the Inside D2 Football broadcast.
- at the 8-minute, 58-second mark, Elite First Team Offense featuring Colorado Mines wide receiver Max McLeod.
- 10:30, Elite First Team Defense featuring defensive back Daniel Bone III of Colorado State Pueblo.
- 14:30, Elite Second Team Defense featuring linebacker Kendall Lightfoot of Western Colorado.
- 15:38, Elite First Team Punter featuring Colorado Mines punter Blade Doud.
- 30:20, No. 19 Western Colorado.
- 47:30, No. 7 Colorado Mines.
