WACO, Texas – Colorado State University Pueblo Football will open the 2024 season sitting 10th among the 23 teams that received votes in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Preseason poll presented by Hudl that was released Monday afternoon.
In the AFCA Division II Preseason poll, the ThunderWolves received 17 points to sit No. 35 and was one point in front of Emporia State, who earned 18 points and was two points in front of Albany (Ga.) State, who earned 15 points.
The Pack were one three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools either ranked or receiving votes in the preseason poll as two-time defending NCAA Division II National Runner-up Colorado School of Mines is ranked No. 5 as the Orediggers received 564 points, while Western Colorado was ranked No. 15 as the Mountaineers earned 230 points.
CSU Pueblo ended the 2023 season with an 8-3 overall record, a 7-2 mark in the RMAC and ended the season by winning its final seven games with its three losses coming against teams that went 35-5 overall and each advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. In last year's preseason AFCA poll, the Poll received 56 votes to be third among the teams earning votes.
Second-year Pack head coach
Philip Vigil welcomes back 65 lettermen, including 21 starters from last season's team. Vigil's 2024 team has eight starters back on offense, nine starters on defense and four on special teams.
The Pack are scheduled to play four teams ranked in the Top 25 of the preseason poll, including two teams ranked inside the Top 5 this season. The ranked teams on the Pack's schedule include No. 21 UT-Permian Basin traveling to the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl for the Pack's home opener on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m., while the following week on Sept. 14, the Pack will host preseason No. 4 ranked Grand Valley State for a 6 p.m. game. The Pack will travel to Gunnison, Colo., for a Nov. 2 game against No. 15 Western Colorado and host No. 5 ranked Mines for a 1 p.m. game on Nov. 9 to close out its home regular season schedule.
CSU Pueblo, who is in its second week of preseason camp, opens the 2024 season with a 6 p.m. road game in Rapid City, S.D., on Thursday, Aug. 29 against South Dakota Mines. The Pack collected a 35-28 road win last season over the Hardrockers.
