PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2025 football season on Tuesday afternoon.
The ThunderWolves' 2025 schedule will feature five home games and two teams that advanced to postseason play a season ago. The Pack's 11 opponents in 2025 recorded a combined record of 63-61 during the 2024 season, including four teams winning at least eight games and seven teams posting winning records. The Pack's two non-conference foes, which are from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, went 17-6 overall last season.
CSU Pueblo's 17th season of football since the program restarted in 2008 begins with a week zero match-up on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m., Red Out Night contest in the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl against South Dakota Mines in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams. It marks the second straight season the Pack will open with a week zero game against the Hardrockers. Last season, the Pack opened the season with a 35-6 win in Rapid City, S.D.
"We're excited about the 2025 schedule and the opportunities it presents. Our team is looking forward to competing against some of the best programs and continuing to build momentum for the future of the Pack," said CSU Pueblo third-year head coach
Philip Vigil. Vigil is 18-5 in his tenure as the Pack's head coach.
The season opener at home against South Dakota Mines will tie for the earliest opener in football in school history as the Pack opened the 2010 season with an August 28 game at Oklahoma Panhandle State.
Following the season opener at home against South Dakota Mines, the Pack will remain home to host Fort Hays State in a 6 p.m. Throw Back Night game on Thursday, Sept. 4. Fort Hays State finished the 2024 season with an 8-3 overall record and went 6-3 in the MIAA. The Pack have faced FHSU 16 times previously, with the most recent meeting coming on Sept. 16, 1978, a game the Pack won 29-6 in Hays, Kan.
The following Thursday, Sept. 11, the Pack will travel to Warrensburg, Mo., for a 7 p.m. CT game against the University of Central Missouri, who went 9-3 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA last season and earned a 39-37 double overtime win over UT-Permian Basin in the Heritage Bowl. This will mark just the second-ever meeting between the two teams as Central Missouri earned a 34-9 win in Pueblo on Sept. 3, 1983.
"Our non-conference schedule will be a great test to see where we stack up against some of the best teams in the country. Both UTPB and Grand Valley State were conference champions in their respective conferences and also were NCAA playoff teams," added Vigil about his team's two non-conference opponents. "We will be able to see early where we can improve and get better!"
After playing two consecutive non-conference games, the Pack will remain on the road as they return to RMAC play with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 20 in Grand Junction, Colo., against Colorado Mesa University. The Mavericks went 7-4 last season and tied for third in the RMAC with a 6-3 league record. Last season, the Pack earned a 38-14 win at home over the Mavericks.
Following a two-game road trip, the Pack will return home for a Saturday, Sept. 27 game on Band Day against Adams State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in the ThunderBowl. Last season, the Pack picked up a 66-10 win in Alamosa.
The Pack will open the month of October with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Oct. 4 in Las Vegas, N.M., against New Mexico Highlands. The Pack picked up a 67-28 win on Homecoming last season against the Cowboys.
After the trip to New Mexico Highlands, the Pack will return home for its annual Homecoming and Hall of Fame game on Saturday, Oct. 11 against Fort Lewis. Kickoff for the homecoming game is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Pack are 16-0 in homecoming games since 2008 and are 32-6 all-time in program history in homecoming games.
After the homecoming game, the Pack will return to the road for a game on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Spearfish, S.D., against Black Hills State. Kickoff time for the Black Hills State has yet to be announced. BHSU went 6-5 overall and 5-4 in the RMAC a season ago. The Pack earned a 24-21 win last season at home against the Yellow Jackets. The Pack hasn't played in Spearfish since the 2022 season.
With its South Dakota Mines game once again being moved to week zero this season, the Pack will have a bye week on Oct. 25, before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 1, with a 1 p.m. game in Gunnison, Colo., against Western Colorado. The Mountaineers finished second in the RMAC last season with an 8-1 conference mark and a 10-2 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, where they fell in the second round at home to Bemidji State. The Pack collected a 44-34 win last season against the Mountaineers.
Following the Western Colorado game, the Pack will play its third straight road game on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Golden, Colo., against Colorado School of Mines. Kickoff for the Mines game is set for noon. Mines, who were the Division II National runners-up in both 2022 and 2023, went 8-3 overall last season and tied for third in the league with a 6-3 RMAC record.
The Pack will conclude the 2025 regular season with a home game on Saturday, Nov. 15, against Chadron State. The Senior Day and Veterans Day game will kick off at 1 p.m. The Pack has won 15 consecutive games against the Eagles, including wrapping up a perfect 9-0 record in league play last season with a 38-21 win in Chadron, Neb.
The NCAA Division II playoffs begin with first-round games on Saturday, Nov. 22. The national semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, with the National Championship game scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 20 at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
CSU Pueblo, who captured the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championships and have advanced to the NCAA playoffs 10 times since 2011, concluded the 2024 season with a 10-2 overall record and claimed its first outright RMAC title since 2013 after posting a perfect 9-0 record in RMAC play. The Pack was the No. 1 seed in the Super Region Four and hosted a second-round playoff against Minnesota State in the ThunderBowl.
Season tickets and Pack Club memberships will go on sale for the 2025-26 school year beginning on May 1.
2025 Pack Football Schedule
| Date |
Opponent |
Time |
| Thur., Aug. 28 |
vs. South Dakota Mines* (Red Out Night) |
6 p.m. |
| Thur., Sept. 4 |
vs. Fort Hays State (Throw Back Night) |
6 p.m. |
| Thur., Sept. 11 |
at University of Central Missouri |
6 p.m. |
| Sat., Sept. 20 |
at Colorado Mesa* |
1 p.m. |
| Sat., Sept. 27 |
vs. Adams State* (Band Day) |
2 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 4 |
at New Mexico Highlands* |
1 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 11 |
vs. Fort Lewis* (Homecoming / HOF Game) |
2 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 18 |
at Black Hills State* |
TBA |
| Sat., Oct. 25 |
BYE |
|
| Sat., Nov. 1 |
at Western Colorado* |
1 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 8 |
at Mines* |
Noon |
| Sat., Nov. 15 |
vs. Chadron State* (Senior Day / Veterans Day) |
1 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 22 |
at NCAA Playoffs (First Round) |
TBD |
| Sat., Nov. 29 |
at NCAA Playoffs (Second Round) |
TBD |
| Sat., Dec. 6 |
at NCAA Playoffs (Quarterfinals) |
TBD |
| Sat., Dec. 13 |
at NCAA National Playoffs (Semifinals) |
TBD |
| Sat., Dec. 20 |
at NCAA Championship Game @McKinney, Texas |
TBD |
*-Denotes Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) games
Home games denoted in Bold and are played at CSU Pueblo Thunder Bowl
All games times listed are Mountain time and are subject to change
