INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Colorado State University Pueblo football team is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 2 in Super Region Four in the third NCAA Division II NPI rankings that will determine playoff selections, which were released Sunday morning.
 
The ThunderWolves, who are 9-0 overall and 7-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference following a hard-fought 38-31 Halloween afternoon home win over Black Hills State, are the highest-ranked team in the RMAC in this season's third NPI rankings. Western Colorado (9-0, 7-0 RMAC) is the only other RMAC school ranked in the Top 10 of Super Region Four, as the Mountaineers are No. 5 in the super region and No. 11 nationally in the third NPI rankings of the 2026 season.

Overall, CSU Pueblo is ranked fifth nationally in the third NPI rankings, as Ferris State (9-0) from Super Region Three is the top-ranked team nationally in the NPI with a 70.007 NPI, while Slippery Rock (9-0) from Super Region One is No. 2 with a 69.179 NPI and Harding (9-0) from Super Region Four is No. 3 with a 67.031 NPI. Northwood (9-0) from Super Region Three is No. 4 with a 65.681 NPI
 
Slippery Rock (8-0) from Super Region One is the top-ranked team nationally in the NPI with a 68.145 NPI, while Ferris State (8-0), from Super Region Three, is No. 2 with an NPI of 67.113 and Harding (8-0) from Super Region Four is No. 3 with a 66.96 NPI, and Northwood (7-0) from Super Region Three is No. 4 with a 65.898 NPI. In fact, four of the Top 10 teams nationally in the third NPI rankings are from Super Region Four.

In the latest NPI Super Region Four rankings, the Pack's NPI is 64.118, ranking second behind Harding at No. 1 with a 67.031 NPI. Northwest Missouri (7-1), who collected a 59-14 win on Saturday over Emporia State, jumps three spots this week to No. 3 with an NPI of 63.326, while Emporia State (8-1) fell two spots to No. 4 with an NPI of 62.884, and Western Colorado (9-0) with an NPI of 61.450 falls one spot to No. 5 despite earning a 37-6 home win on Saturday over South Dakota Mines.
 
The final five of the third Super Region Four NPI begins with Central Washington (7-1) at No. 6 with an NPI of 61.447, while Central Missouri (6-3) jumps one spot to No. 7 with an NPI of 58.270 and Southeastern Oklahoma (7-2) moves into the Top 10 at No. 8 with an NPI of 57.418. Washburn (6-2-1) climbs one spot to No. 9 with an NPI of 59.912, and Midwestern State (7-2) jumps into the Top 10 this week at No. 10 with an NPI of 56.766.
 
The NCAA Power Index is the formula Division II now uses to select and seed the playoff field. In football, it blends winning percentage (25 percent) with strength of schedule (75 percent), measured by opponents' own NPI. Road wins and home losses count a bit more (1.05 vs. 0.95), and wins over teams rated above 52.0 earn a quality-win bonus. Only games against Division II opponents count.
 
The top eight teams will earn selection into the 2026 NCAA Division II Playoffs. Conference champions from the MIAA, GAC, Lone Star and RMAC will receive automatic bids. The final NPI rankings will determine the final four slots after the November 14 games.