Colorado College was selected to finish fifth in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Preseason Media Poll, announced by the league office on Thursday.

The Tigers received 128 points overall in the media poll and were selected to finish behind defending national champion Western Michigan (252, 19 first-place votes, Denver (225, 4 first-place votes), North Dakota (220, 5 first-place votes) and Arizona State (180, 2 first-place votes. Rounding out the poll was Minnesota Duluth (120), Omaha (110), St. Cloud State (80) and Miami (35).

This season, Colorado College returns 2023-24 All-American goalie Kaidan Mbereko, 2024-25 second-team all-NCHC defenseman Max Burkholder and last season's top scorer, Owen Beckner. In addition, 14 newcomers join the team, including two transfers and 12 freshmen. The incoming freshman class has been consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the nation by college hockey outlets.

The Tigers open the 2025-26 season with a weekend series against UConn at Ed Robson Arena, Oct. 3-4.
 
2025-26 NCHC Preseason Media Poll

1. Western Michigan, 252 points (19 first-place votes)
2. Denver, 225 (4)
3. North Dakota, 220 (5)
4. Arizona State, 180 (2)
5. Colorado College, 128
6. Minnesota Duluth, 120
7. Omaha, 110
8. St. Cloud State, 80
9. Miami, 35