The New Mexico Highlands football team was picked to finish sixth in the 10-team Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, released Wednesday.
The Cowboys, who went 6-5 last year and 4-5 in RMAC games, had two players — linebackers Dawson Chapman and Dontaivious Nelson — selected to the preseason All-RMAC team.
NMHU also finished sixth in last season’s standings and in the preseason poll — one in which coaches could not vote for their own team.
This year, the Cowboys earned 38 points.
Defending champion CSU Pueblo was picked to win the league, receiving eight — of a possible 10 — first place votes. Western Colorado (picked second) and Chadron State (picked fourth) each received two first place votes, as well. Colorado School of Mines was picked third, with no first place votes.
2026 RMAC Preseason FB Coaches Poll
(Predicted order of finish, first place votes in parenthesis and total points).
1. CSU Pueblo (8) — 80
2. Western Colorado (1) — 69
3. Colorado School of Mines — 62
4. Chadron State (1) — 60
5. Colorado Mesa — 52
6. New Mexico Highlands — 38
7. South Dakota Mines — 34
8. Black Hills State — 29
9. Fort Lewis — 16
10. Adams State — 10
Note: Head coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team. 9 points for a 1st-place vote, 8 for 2nd, etc. 81 points maximum in football.
NMHU opens the season Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. hosting Eastern New Mexico in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.
