INDIANAPOLIS  Western Colorado was listed at No. 4 in the initial ranked-order list of Super Region 4 rankings released Monday by the NCAA Division II Football Committee.

The Super Region rankings will eventually determine the 28-team field that will comprise the NCAA D-II playoffs with the top seven teams from the four Super Regions earning playoff bids.

The next ranking will be released on November 11 with the final rankings that will determine the full playoff field released on November 17.

The top four teams in the final Super Region rankings will earn at least one home game with the No. 1 seed in each region earning a first-round bye. The top seven teams in the final ranking will earn a spot in the playoffs, unless any one of the three conferences in the region (RMAC, Lonestar, Northern Sun) are not represented in the top seven. If that happens and the conference in question has a team ranked eighth or ninth, that team will move into the No. 7 seed via the "earned access" rule. 

The Mountaineers -- ranked 11th nationally in both the American Football Coaches Association and the D2Football.com polls -- are looking to earn their third NCAA playoff spot in four seasons. Western hosted first-round games in 2021and in 2023 and if it maintains or increases its Super Region ranking this season, would be in line to host another first-round game.

The final two games on the Mountaineers' schedule are a home contest Nov. 9 against Chadron State College and the regular season finale against host Colorado Mesa University on Nov. 16.