PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo football program closes out the 2024 season ranked in the Top 11 nationally in both of this season's final AFCA Division II Coaches and D2Football.com polls that were released Monday following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
In this year's final Division II football polls, the ThunderWolves, who finished the season with a 10-2 overall record, ended the season ranked No. 8 in the final AFCA Division II Coaches Poll presented by Hudl and ranked No. 11 in the final D2Football.com Media poll.
The Pack, who are coached by
Philip Vigil, received 460 points in the final AFCA poll to sit just two points (462) behind No. 7 Minnesota State (11-4), who defeated the Pack 26-23 in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs in the CSU ThunderBowl on Nov. 30 and advanced to the national semifinals before falling 35-21 to eventual national runner-up Valdosta State, and 55 points (405) in front of No. 9 Central Oklahoma, who fell in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs at national champion Ferris State (78-17).
CSU Pueblo's No. 8 ranking is the highest final ranking in the AFCA Coaches poll since being ranked No. 7 to close out the 2018 season. In fact since 2011, the Pack has been ranked inside the Top 10 in the final AFCA Poll seven times, including two times (2014 and 2015) ranked in the Top 5 as they were No. 1 in 2014 after capturing the national championship and were No. 5 in the final poll of the 2015 season.
The Pack are one of two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools ranked in the final AFCA poll of the 2024 season and one of three league schools mentioned in the poll as Western Colorado (11-2), who fell in the second round of the Division II playoffs at home to Bemidji State (20-19), ends the season ranked No. 10 as they earned 360 points. Colorado School of Mines (8-3 overall) ends the season receiving votes in the final AFCA poll as they earned 56 votes.
Meanwhile, in the final D2Football.com poll of the 2024 season, the Pack is ranked No. 11 after ranked No. 6 in the final regular season poll. In the final D2Football.com poll, the Pack is behind No. 10 California (Pa.) (10-3), who lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs to Slippery Rock (31-13) and in front of No. 12 Virginia Union (10-4), who fell in the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs to Valdosta State (49-14).
The Pack were one of two RMAC schools ranked in the final D2Football.com poll as Western Colorado closes the season ranked No. 13.
Ferris State (14-1), who captured its third NCAA Division II title in the last four years this past Saturday with a 49-14 win in the championship game over Valdosta State (13-1), sits atop both of the final polls of the season. In the AFCA poll, Ferris State earned 675 points and all 27 first place votes. Valdosta State, who was the national runner-up, closes the season ranked No. 2 in both polls, while Slippery Rock (12-2) is ranked No. 3 in both polls after falling 48-38 in the national semifinals at Ferris State, while Harding (12-2) is ranked fourth in both polls after falling in the quarterfinals at Ferris State (41-7). The No. 5 team in the final AFCA poll was Kutztown (11-1), while the No. 5 team in the final D2Football.com poll was Minnesota State (11-4).
The Pack closed out the 2024 season with a 10-2 overall record and earned its ninth all-time RMAC title, including its first outright title since 2014 after finishing league play with a perfect 9-0 record and earned the No. 1 seed from Super Region Four in the NCAA Playoffs and hosted a home playoff game for the first time since the 2019 season.
