Fort Lewis was picked fourth in the 2026-27 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason poll after finishing tied for second in the league last season. The Skyhawks went 18-11 overall and 15-5 in conference play, then reached the tournament semifinals. Black Hills State, which edged Fort Lewis by two points in last season’s semifinal, was picked to defend its title.

By the Numbers
  • Fort Lewis: 138 poll points; two second-place votes and one third-place vote.
  • Black Hills State: 192 points and 12 first-place votes.
  • Fort Lewis last season: 18-11 overall, 15-5 in conference play and 10-0 at home against RMAC teams.
  • Last season’s semifinal: Black Hills State 77, Fort Lewis 75.
Yes, But

Fort Lewis tied for second in the conference standings last season but received the tournament’s fourth seed through tiebreakers. The preseason poll also reflects coaches’ expectations, not a final standings forecast.

What’s Next

The Skyhawks open the season at home against Justice University on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Their next home games are Dec. 10 against Regis at the Sun Ute Community Center in Ignacio and Dec. 12 against MSU Denver at Whalen Gymnasium.

Bottom Line

Fort Lewis has a strong case to outperform its fourth-place projection: it tied for second last season and was perfect at home in conference play. The challenge is turning that regular-season success into a deeper tournament run.