Checking out the competion: New Mexico

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - For only the fifth time in both football programs’ over one-hundred-year history, The Texas A&M Aggies will take on the New Mexico Lobos. The University of New Mexico is located in Alberquerque and their mascot actually wasn’t a Lobo at first.

When the school first got a football team in 1892 they were called “The University Boys” or “The Varsities” so they wouldn’t be mistaken for the local prep school. In 1920 they adopted the Lobo as the school’s mascot.

To make a statement with their new mascot, a man named Bruno Dieckmann thought it would be a good idea to bring a live mascot to the school. He left a wolf in the care of the New Mexico cheerleaders and would make appearances at football practices and game days. Unfortunately, the wolf ended up biting a child so they had to dispose of it. Now New Mexico has two Lobo mascots named Lobo Louie and Lobo Lucy.

The Lobo basketball program has one of the nicest stadiums in the country. University Arena, also known as “The Pit” was ranked 5th by the travel channel for best college basketball venues. What’s cool about the pit is that it sits 37 feet below street level. There is also a building on campus called the Estufa. No one knows what is in this building except members of new Mexico’s Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

New Mexico’s biggest rival is New Mexico State University who ironically also has the Aggies as their mascot. Every time The Lobos are about to play the Aggies they have a pep rally which they call a “Red Rally.” A tradition they have at this event is that they burn down a huge paper mache of New Mexico State Aggie and burn it to the ground.

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