WACO, Texas --- Western Colorado football comes in ranked No. 24 this week in the 2021 American Football Coaches Association – Division II Coaches' Poll. This is the first time in program history that the Mountaineers have ever been ranked in the top 25 (since the DII poll was created in 2000), with their 5-1 start and coming off a 45-38 victory over New Mexico Highlands.
 
"We have been able to play good football during the first half of the season," said head coach Jas Bains. "Our players have done a great job focusing on our opponent each week and preparing for games. It's a great accomplishment for this team. There's a lot of season left and have a lot of work to do still. We hope we can continue to improve each week."
 
The Mountaineers (5-1 overall, 4-1 RMAC) earned the No. 24 spot with 38 points. They are one of two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams ranked in the top 25, as Colorado School of Mines holds the No. 5 spot with their 6-0 record. Colorado Mines is the only loss Western Colorado has on their schedule as the Mountaineers fell to the Orediggers in overtime on the road just a few weeks ago.
 
"What an exciting time for Mountaineer football, Western and the Gunnison community! We're super proud of our student athletes and our coaching staff in elevating Western football to this level," said director of athletics Miles Van Hee. "It's been an incredibly fun season and it's so great to see the home stands full of fans cheering on the Mountaineers. The support from our community and our student body is simply amazing."
 
The AFCA DII Coaches' Poll was created in response to overwhelming support by NCAA Division II coaches, the American Football Coaches Association began publishing a Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll in 2000. Prior to 2000, there was no coaches' polls for NCAA Division II. The regional poll had been used to rank teams for consideration for the NCAA playoffs.
 
The Division II poll follows the same basic format as the Amway Coaches Poll. The Division II Board of Coaches has 30 voters representing all Division II conferences, as well as independent schools. The Division II Coaches' Poll begins every August and will run through the final week of the regular season in November. A final poll will be released the Monday following the NCAA Division II championship game.
 
Western Colorado's next game will be on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. in Mountaineer Bowl as they host Black Hills State (4-2 overall, 2-2 RMAC).