The Sidelines

To celebrate the 2026 RMAC Men's Soccer Tournament, The Sidelines: Episode 87 sat down with CSU Pueblo's fifth year forward and All-American, Nick Cenek. Growing up in Illinois, Nick and his family made countless sacrifices to help his game progress, eventually earning him a spot on the Creighton men's soccer roster. After completing his undergraduate degree in finance and economics from Creighton, Nick found a home in the RMAC, making an immediate impact on not only his team, but the broader CSU Pueblo community. Nick now leads the nationally ranked ThunderWolves into the RMAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, with their eyes on a conference title. Tune in to Episode 87 to hear more about Nick's journey and his goal of being the best role model he can be for the next generation of collegiate soccer players.

Help The Sidelines prepare for the 2026 RMAC Cross Country Championships in Rapid City, South Dakota, with special guest, Lida Padgett. Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, Lida immediately fell in love with the culture of the UCCS women's cross country team through her recruiting journey and knew she wanted to bring her talent and leadership to the program. After a rocky start to her collegiate career, Lida was diagnosed with Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD), which significantly impacted her ability to train and compete. Thanks to her coaching staff and specialists in Denver, Lida implemented therapy and a routine that not only allows her to do the sport she loves, but helps her shine as the teammate and captain she is. Join the RMAC in celebrating Lida's journey and looking ahead to a highly anticipated 2026 RMAC Cross Country Championship.

The RMAC is three weeks out from its conference volleyball tournament, and to celebrate, The Sidelines sat down with Colorado Mesa outside hitter, Sydney Amiatu. As a transfer from the University of Hawaiʻi's beach volleyball program, Sydney bounced back from a pre-season injury to make an immediate impact for the Mavericks this season. As Sydney discusses in Episode 85, her journey to Colorado Mesa through the transfer portal was daunting at times, but was fueled by her passion for playing the sport she loves and the opportunity to reunite with her brother, Blake, who serves as an assistant coach for the Colorado Mesa men's lacrosse team. Guided by Sydney's humility, talent, and love for her teammates and coaches, the Mavericks have boasted an impressive season, thus far, aiming for an opportunity to host the RMAC tournament and bring home the conference title.

To celebrate the RMAC's inaugural fall Mental Health Week, recognized October 10-17, The Sidelines sat down with two members of the RMAC SAAC mental health subcommittee, Zoe Evans and Mitch Moravec of Black Hills State, with guest Ryan Wesner, Program Coordinator for RADical Hope Foundation. Sponsored by RADical Hope, this fall's RMAC Mental Health Week featured student-athlete training sessions, facilitated by Ryan, "Mental Health Matters" t-shirts distributed to all 15 RMAC campuses, and three featured mental health games across the league. Zoe, a junior women's soccer player, and Mitch, a junior football student-athlete, have proudly stepped into leadership roles in the mental health space, spearheading conference-wide initiatives that will make a lasting impact for RMAC student-athletes for years to come. The RMAC is proud to partner with Ryan and his team at RADical Hope to empower student-athletes, like Zoe and Mitch, to leave their mark and stand up for something they truly believe in.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, The Sidelines: Episode 83, co-hosted by Regis Global Inclusive intern, Andrew Regan, features Regis women's soccer forward, Fernanda Rodriguez, and Regis men's cross country athlete, Liam Chavez. Tune in to hear how Fernanda, a junior health and exercise science major from California and Liam, a sophomore triple major from New Mexico, both credit their family dynamics and heritage as key components of their academic and athletic success. The RMAC is honored to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting diverse backgrounds and perspective that not only make our conference stronger, but showcase the opportunity and access of Division II.

Oredigger football heads north this Saturday to take on the Eagles for Hall of Fame weekend in Chadron, Nebraska. To prepare for the matchup, Episode 82 sat down with Chadron State quarterback, Aidan Thompson, and Colorado School of Mines defensive tackle, Joey Beckner, to showcase their leadership styles and approaches from both sides of the ball. Both Aidan and Joey have faced their share of change and adversity throughout their collegiate careers, including navigating the transfer portal or experiencing four different head coaches, but have also experienced great success, both athletically and academically. It is evident in today's episode that these young men aren't just focused on playing the game of football, but rather enjoying the family they've developed at their respective schools and applying life-long lessons the sport has taught them to their next chapters. Tune in to celebrate these two leaders as they take the field for a highly anticipated matchup.

To thrive in today's collegiate athletics landscape, coaches are required to constantly adapt and remember their purpose behind the work they do. For Adams State football head coach, Levi Gallas, that purpose lies in his faith, family and helping young men capitalize on the gifts they've been given, both athletically and academically. As a former Adams State football student-athlete himself, Coach Gallas continues to build on his connections and relationships within the Adams State community to foster a culture of support, highlighted by his players' "Knuckle Thursdays" at local elementary schools. Tune in to celebrate the impactful work of Coach Gallas and his staff as they prepare for the Grizzlies' homecoming weekend against the Hardrockers of South Dakota Mines this Saturday.

The Mountaineers are off to a strong 2-0 start for the 2026 football season, led by redshirt senior, Caden Measner. A Greeley, Colorado native, Measner represented Western Colorado at the 2026 RMAC Football Media Day and sat down with The Sidelines to discuss his love for not only the game of football, but his Mountaineer family. Throughout Episode 80, Caden emphasizes the impact his coaching staff has had on his collegiate career, particularly highlighting the leadership of Coach Bains. From a humble recruiting journey and the nickname of "Blender" his freshman year, Caden has developed into one of the RMAC's best wide receivers, commanding an impressive offense that's sure to see continued success this fall. Join The Sidelines in celebrating Caden's last season representing Western Colorado and looking ahead to the Mountaineers' first RMAC matchup this Saturday against the Eagles of Chadron State.

Fall seasons are officially underway in the RMAC! To celebrate the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year, The Sidelines sat down with Colorado Christian University Athletics Director, Jon Poag, and Fort Lewis College Director of Athletics, Shawn Jakubowski. Both Jon and Shawn have made a recent transition from coaching to administration, having both led successful RMAC track and field and cross country programs. In Episode 79, Jon and Shawn share some of the challenges and opportunities associated with transitioning from the coaching role into a larger campus leadership role, while also honoring the legacy and precedent set by those before them.

Through budget cuts and enrollment pressures that many DII schools in the country are facing, both Shawn and Jon keep an optimistic outlook and continue to focus on competing with integrity, capitalizing on community partnerships, and positioning their departments to be cornerstones of their university's future success. Join The Sidelines in celebrating two respected leaders who epitomize the RMAC spirit as they prepare for an exciting year ahead.

The Sidelines is back for its third season, kicking off the 2026-27 academic year with special guest, Danielle Harris, Commissioner of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. In Episode 78, Commissioner Harris shares her leadership style and approach to building trust and relationships amongst RMAC membership as the league's first woman of color in the commissioner seat. After her time on campuses, Danielle applauds the resilience and commitment to academic excellence she has seen from RMAC student-athlete, and recognizes the profound impact of RMAC administrators.

After her first eight months of service, Commissioner Harris shares how recent updates to the conference office staff structure will help enhance the future of the RMAC Network, emphasize the importance of strategic partnerships, prioritize the recruitment, education and retention of quality officials, and create a more targeted approach to RMAC social media engagement. Commissioner Harris also shares opportunities for the league to enhance its competitive excellence nationally, while developing student-athletes to feel prepared for life beyond their sport. Tune in to Episode 78 for an inspiring start to the 2026-27 year for RMAC athletics!