The New Mexico Lobos are the athletic teams that represent the University of New Mexico. The university participates in the NCAA Division I in the Mountain West Conference (MW). The university's athletic program fields teams in 22 varsity sports. The only varsity teams that do not compete in the MW are in sports that the conference does not sponsorâ€"men's soccer, which plays in Conference USA (C-USA); and skiing, which competes in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA).
UNM teams have won two national championships; the women's cross-country NCAA championship in 2015, and the Division I Skiing championship in 2004. The men's soccer team was National Runner-up in Division I Soccer losing in overtime to the University of Maryland in 2005 as the No. 2 seed, the highest ranking for a UNM soccer team in school history.
The school colors are cherry red, silver, and white. The official fight song is Hail, New Mexico.
History
The Lobos name began in 1920. A UNM Weekly student newspaper editor, George S. Bryan, came up with the teams' name, the "Lobos", which is the Spanish word for wolf. Previously the University's teams were referred to as the "University Boys" or "Varsities".
Mascot
The University mascots are anthropomorphized wolves or "Lobos" named Louie and Lucy, they appear at every sporting and social event. For a brief period in the 1920s, a live wolf pup appeared at every football game, but UNM administrators were forced to cease the practice when a child teased the wolf and was subsequently bitten.
Sports sponsored
The University of New Mexico sponsors teams in ten men's and twelve women's NCAA sanctioned sports, primarily competing in the Mountain West Conference, with men's soccer a member of Conference USA.
Baseball
The Lobo baseball program began in 1899. Its current head coach is Ray Birmingham.
In recent years the Lobo Baseball Program has seen much success, the team competed in the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament. Prior to 2010 the Lobos hadn't made an appearance in the tournament since 1962. In 2012 the Lobos captured both the Mountain West Regular Season and Conference Tournament titles. The Lobos have not made a College World Series appearance in its program's history.
UNM's baseball team plays at Santa Ana Star Field on the university's campus. They averaged 1,294 fans for the 2011 season and ranked 43rd in the NCAA per game.
Men's basketball
The Lobo basketball programs were established in 1899, but began its first competitive teams in 1903 and 1906, respectively. In 1920 a head coach would be hired, Roy W. Johnson. Its current head coach is Craig Neal.
Both men's and women's teams play in The Pit, formally known as Dreamstyle Arena, built in 1966. The Pit seats 15,411 spectators and ranks nationally in attendance for both men's and women's programs. Previously the Lobos played in Johnson Gymnasium and Carlisle Gymnasium, which both still exist on the main campus.
The Lobo men's basketball team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 14 times and have reached the second round seven times. UNM's most successful coaches in terms of wins are Dave Bliss, Bob King, Roy Johnson, and Steve Alford.
Women's basketball
- Current head coach: Mike Bradbury
The Lobo women's basketball team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 8 times. Former head coach Don Flanagan (1999â€"2011) is the most successful coach in terms of wins.
Women's cross country
The women's cross-country team at the University of New Mexico, known as the New Mexico Lobos, won the NCAA championship in 2015. In 2015, head coach Joe Franklin was named NCAA women's coach of the year for the NCAA Mountain Region and the NCAA nationally.
In 2017, UNM won the national team title, and Lobo Ednah Kurgat won the individual title.
Earlier in their history, the team placed in the top 10 nationally four times.
Football
- Current head coach: Bob Davie
The Lobo football program began in 1892, but compiled its first competitive team in 1894.
The Lobos were previously coached by Mike Locksley. He was fired in late 2011 after a dismal 2â€"26 coaching record in 2 1/2 years at New Mexico. Locksley took the place of Rocky Long (1998â€"2008) who was the winningest coach in the school's history.
The Lobo football program has appeared in 12 bowl games since 1939. The Lobos have captured four wins in bowl games, including the 1946 Sun Bowl, the 1961 Aviation Bowl, and the 2007 and 2016 New Mexico Bowl.
UNM usually plays two large rivalry games each year with non-conference opponents, the Arizona Wildcats and the New Mexico State Aggies. The Rivalry with the Aggies is referred to as the "Rio Grande Rivalry", the rivalry first began in 1894. The Lobos have led the series since the 1940s; it stands at 66â€"31â€"5 in favor of the Lobos. The Rivalry with the Wildcats is referred to as the "Kit Carson Rifle"; the rivalry began in the early 1920s. The Wildcats of Arizona have led the series. The last meeting with the teams was in 2008. The Lobos defeated the Wildcats 36â€"28.
Men's golf
The men's golf team has won 23 conference championships:
- Border Conference (3): 1948â€"50 (co-champion in 1948)
- Mountain States Conference (6): 1957â€"62
- Western Athletic Conference (8): 1963â€"65, 1967, 1979, 1989, 1993, 1996
- Mountain West Conference (6): 2003â€"06, 2013â€"14
Many Lobo golfers have gone on to play and win on the PGA Tour including: Tommy Armour III (two wins), Charlie Beljan (one), Brad Bryant (one), Curt Byrum (one), Tom Byrum (one), and Tim Herron (four).
Skiing
- Current head coach (men's team): Fredrik Landstedt
The New Mexico Lobo skiing team, a fully coeducational team, is one of only two Lobos teams that do not compete in the MW. It competes in the single-sport Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association alongside several Division I and Division II schools in the West. The team carries a rich tradition; it captured the school's first national title in 2004. The team was briefly eliminated in the spring of 2017.
Soccer
- Current head coach (men's team): Jeremy Fishbein
- Current head coach (women's team): Kit Vela
Softball
The Lobos softball team has appeared in two Women's College World Series in 1980 and 1981.
Rivalries
- Kit Carson Rifle (Arizona Wildcats)
- Rio Grande Rivalry (New Mexico State Aggies)
- The Bowl Showdown (Utah Utes)
Championships
NCAA team championships
New Mexico has won 3 NCAA team national championships.
- Women's (2)
- Cross Country (2): 2015, 2017
- Co-ed (1)
- Skiing (1): 2004
- see also:
- Mountain West Conference NCAA team championships
- List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships
National runners-up
- Division I Men's & Women's Skiing (2006)
- Division I Men's Soccer (2005)
- Division I Men's & Women's Skiing (1992)
See also
- List of college athletic programs in New Mexico
References
External links
- Official website
