Regis University to Host 16th Annual Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

Top eight collegiate cybersecurity teams to compete March 6-7 on Regis University's main campus 

Regis University will host the 16th annual Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (RMCCDC) on March 6-7, 2026, on its main campus in Denver. After 15 university and college teams from Utah, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado competed in the qualifying round Jan. 24, the top eight teams have earned their place at the regional competition, where one team will advance to the National Championship.

The RMCCDC presents a unique professional challenge: top-performing teams assume the role of a security operations team defending a fictitious company against a red team of up to 20 professional ethical hackers. The competition emphasizes the operational aspects of managing and protecting a commercial network infrastructure while preserving core business functions.

“Cybersecurity competitions like the RMCCDC are essential to preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals,” said Madhu Rao, dean of Regis University’s Anderson College of Business and Computing. “This event brings together some of the brightest minds in the region and gives them real-world experience facing the kinds of threats organizations confront every day. We are proud that Regis continues to be the home of this important regional competition.” 

The eight teams advancing to the RMCCDC are:

Brigham Young University 
BYU-Idaho
Southern Utah University 
Colorado School of Mines 
University of Colorado Boulder 
University of Denver 
Kansas State University 
University of Kansas 

 The RMCCDC winner will advance to represent the Rocky Mountain Region at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, scheduled for April 24-26, 2026.

“Organizing this competition year after year is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, students and industry partners,” said Bob Bowles, assistant professor and director at Regis University’s Anderson College of Business and Computing. “The students who participate in the RMCCDC leave with hands-on skills and a competitive edge that employers in the cybersecurity field are actively seeking. We look forward to welcoming these exceptional teams to our campus.”

Regis University’s Anderson College of Business and Computing extends its gratitude to the sponsors whose generous support makes this event possible: 

National Security Agency (NSA) 
ISACA, Denver Chapter
Splunk 
Palo Alto Networks 
Fortra 
Cyversity