COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 15, 2022) – Colorado State University Pueblo football is looked on as one of the top programs in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) for the upcoming season, as the ThunderWolves squad has been ranked second in the league's preseason coaches' poll. CSU Pueblo received a first-place vote and accumulated 70 points in the poll.
 
Defending co-RMAC Champion, Colorado School of Mines racked up nine first-place votes and 81 points to sit atop the rankings. Western Colorado, which shared the crown in 2021 with Mines, totaled 66 points and claimed third, followed by Colorado Mesa in fourth with 53 points and Chadron State with 47 points in fifth.
 
Head coach of the Pack, John Wristen, commented following the release of the standings, stating, "We are excited to be back on the field for the 2022 season. We have one heck of a schedule that will be challenging and exciting to watch." Wristen concluded his statements saying, "We are going to be working hard for it and are looking forward to a great Pack football season."
 
The Pack's players to watch were named as defensive lineman Trey Botts, quarterback Steven Croell and linebacker Max Gonzales. 
 
Botts and Gonzales helped lead a stout defense that saw itself in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense, team passing efficiency defense and defensive touchdowns. Gonzales led the Pack with 88 total tackles to go with 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2022. Botts helped lead a dominating front line with 55 tackles, two sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and a defensive line high 27 solo tackles. 
 
Croell will come back to the Pack for his second year under center. The redshirt sophomore stood out for the ThunderWolves in 2021 with a team-high 873 yards passing, seven touchdowns, a 127.05 passer rating and 59.54 completion percentage. The young slinger capped off his inaugural season with 253 yards at Western Colorado in the final game of 2021. 
 
Mines was one of the top teams in the nation in 2021 with the Orediggers finishing 12-2 on the season after advancing to the NCAA National Semifinals where they fell to the National Runner-Up Valdosta State. The other Co-RMAC Champions, Western Colorado, were defeated in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
 
Last season, the ThunderWolves finished 6-5 on the season that featured a memorable double overtime victory over Colorado Mesa at home and a record-breaking 73-0 win at Fort Lewis. 
 
In 2022, Pack football will host six home contests that include three teams that qualified for the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2021 to go with six total opponents that carried winning records through the previous season.