COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's soccer team was picked to finish fifth in the 2026 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Tuesday by the league office.
The ThunderWolves collected 63 points in the preseason voting and sit behind defending RMAC champion UCCS, Regis, Fort Lewis and MSU Denver. CSU Pueblo had the most players named to the preseason list. The Pack enters the 2026 campaign with a strong group of returners, highlighted by 2025 All-American Nick Cenek and 2026 All-Region selection Matty Parkes.
While the two Spaniard defenders in Jose Peris Gimeno (Sr., Burriana, Spain) and Pedro Martinez Castro (Langreo, Spain) were also named Preseason All-RMAC
Cenek and Parkes were both First Team All-RMAC selections last season and are the only two returning First Team All-RMAC honorees in the conference. Both were also named to the 2026 RMAC Preseason Team.
UCCS was selected as the preseason favorite after capturing the 2025 RMAC championship. The Mountain Lions received all 10 possible first-place votes and finished atop the poll with 100 points. UCCS won its first conference title last season with a 3-2 victory over MSU Denver in the championship match.
Regis was picked second with 85 points, while Fort Lewis landed third with 75 points. MSU Denver, which advanced to last season's RMAC championship match, was selected fourth with 71 points. The ThunderWolves followed in fifth with 63 points.
Only two points separated CSU Pueblo from sixth-place Westminster, which received 61 points. Colorado Mesa was seventh with 57 points, followed by Colorado School of Mines with 31 and South Dakota Mines with 30. Colorado Christian earned 23 points to sit 10th, while Adams State rounded out the 11-team poll with nine points.
Head coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams in the preseason poll.
The Pack will give fans their first look at the 2026 squad when it hosts its Alumni Match on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.
CSU Pueblo officially opens the 2026 season on the road Thursday, Aug. 27 at St. Mary's. The ThunderWolves will then make their home debut Saturday, Sept. 5 against Newman.
2026 RMAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
UCCS |
100 |
| 2. |
Regis |
85 |
| 3. |
Fort Lewis |
75 |
| 4. |
MSU Denver |
71 |
| 5. |
CSU Pueblo |
63 |
| 6. |
Westminster |
61 |
| 7. |
Colorado Mesa |
57 |
| 8. |
Colorado School of Mines |
31 |
| 9. |
South Dakota Mines |
30 |
| 10. |
Colorado Christian |
23 |
| 11. |
Adams State |
9 |
