Rio Grande Rivalry

New Mexico–NM State Rivalry
(Men's Basketball)
New Mexico Lobos	New Mexico State Aggies
Sport	Men's Basketball
First meeting	1894; New Mexico 67, NM State 38
Latest meeting	December 16, 2015
Trophy	Rio Grande Rivalry
Statistics
Meetings total	212
All-time series	New Mexico leads, 120–96
Current win streak	New Mexico, 4 (2014–present)

New Mexico–NM State Rivalry (Football)
Sport	Football
Teams	New Mexico Lobos; New Mexico State Aggies;
First meeting	January 1, 1894; New Mexico 25, NM State 5
Latest meeting	October 3, 2015; New Mexico 38, NM State 29
Trophy	Rio Grande Rivalry
Statistics
Meetings total	106
All-time series	New Mexico leads, 70–31–5
Largest victory	NM State, 110–3 (1917)
Longest win streak	New Mexico, 18 (1938–1958)
Current win streak	New Mexico, 4 (2012–present)

School	University of New Mexico	New Mexico State University
Comparison of the two universities
Logo
Ownership	State of New Mexico (PED)	State of New Mexico (PED)
Location	Albuquerque, NM	Las Cruces, NM
Conference	Mountain West	Western Athletic/Sun Belt(football)
Students	35,211	18,497
School Colors	Cherry & Silver	Crimson & White
Nickname	Lobos	Aggies
Mascot(s)	Lobo Louie	Pistol Pete
Football Stadium	Branch Field	Aggie Memorial Stadium
Basketball Arena	The Pit	Pan American Center
National Championships	2	0

University of New Mexico

New Mexico State University

Locations in New Mexico

The Rio Grande Rivalry is an intercollegiate rivalry between The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University. The rivalry began in 1894. In comparison, New Mexico was a United States Territory from Sept 1850 to January 1912, when it became a member of the United States of America and the Union.

For many years the rivalry was often referred to as the "Battle of I-25" in recognition of the campuses both being located along that interstate highway.

Traditions

The University of New Mexico students in collaboration with their student government, ASUNM, celebrates the rivalry with the Red Rally, an annual event which takes place the Thursday evening before that year's rivalry football game, in which an effigy of an Aggie is set on fire.

Sports

Football

The rivalry between New Mexico's only two NCAA Division I institutions dates back to Jan. 1, 1894 – eighteen years before New Mexico achieved statehood – when the schools met in a football contest in Albuquerque. While it is clear that New Mexico won that first game, school records seem to disagree on the score. According to New Mexico media guides the final score was 25–5 but according to New Mexico State media guides the score was 18–6. By the time New Mexico entered the union in 1912 UNM and New Mexico A&M (as NMSU was known prior to 1959) had already met on the gridiron six times. Beginning in 1993, the two universities played for the Maloof Trophy, but it was short-lived; the trophy was retired in 2000. Until 1937 the series was competitive with the Aggies holding a 15–12–4 lead over the Lobos. Since 1938 the Lobos have dominated the series 54–16–1 except during 1959–1968 when the Aggies won 7 of 10 meetings. The Lobos all-time advantage is 70–31–5, however the rivalry remains spirited. Most recently the Lobos defeated the Aggies 27–14 on September 22, 2012 in Las Cruces. The September 26, 2009 game when the Aggies won 20–17 in Albuquerque was the 100th time the teams had played each other.

Series

New Mexico victories are shaded ██ silver. New Mexico State victories shaded in ██ crimson.

Date	Winner	Score	Location	Series
1894	New Mexico	25–5	Albuquerque	UNM 1–0
1905	NM State	40–0	Albuquerque	Tied 1–1
1906	NM State	25–5	Albuquerque	NMSU 2–1
1908	New Mexico	10–6	Albuquerque	Tied 2–2
1909	New Mexico	51–0	Albuquerque	UNM 3–2
1911	NM State	10–6	Albuquerque	Tied 3–3
1912	NM State	27–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 4–3
1913	NM State	13–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 5–3
1914	Tie	7–7	Albuquerque	NMSU 5–3–1
1915	New Mexico	13–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 5–4–1
1916	New Mexico	51–0	Albuquerque	Tied 5–5–1
1917	NM State	110–3	Albuquerque	NMSU 6–5–1
1919	New Mexico	24–2	Albuquerque	Tied 6–6–1
1920	NM State	14–7	Albuquerque	NMSU 7–6–1
1921	New Mexico	6–0	Albuquerque	Tied 7–7–1
1922	NM State	7–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 8–7–1
1923	NM State	6–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 9–7–1
1924	NM State	6–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 10–7–1
1925	New Mexico	20–9	Albuquerque	NMSU 10–8–1
1926	Tie	6–6	Albuquerque	NMSU 10–8–2
1927	New Mexico	26–9	Albuquerque	NMSU 10–9–2
1928	New Mexico	14–13	Albuquerque	Tied 10–10–2
1929	Tie	7–7	Albuquerque	Tied 10–10–3
1930	NM State	14–6	Albuquerque	NMSU 11–10–3
1931	NM State	13–6	Albuquerque	NMSU 12–10–3
1932	Tie	0–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 12–10–4
1933	New Mexico	14–7	Albuquerque	NMSU 12–11–4
1934	New Mexico	12–6	Albuquerque	Tied 12–12–4
1935	NM State	32–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 13–12–4
1936	NM State	7–6	Albuquerque	NMSU 14–12–4
1937	NM State	5–0	Albuquerque	NMSU 15–12–4
1938	New Mexico	6–2	Albuquerque	NMSU 15–13–4
1939	New Mexico	9–6	Albuquerque	NMSU 15–14–4
1940	New Mexico	39–6	Albuquerque	Tied 15–15–4
1941	New Mexico	28–0	Albuquerque	UNM 16–15–4
1942	New Mexico	32–0	Albuquerque	UNM 17–15–4
1946	New Mexico	7–6	Las Cruces	UNM 18–15–4
1947	New Mexico	20–0	Albuquerque	UNM 19–15–4
1948	New Mexico	61–0	Las Cruces	UNM 20–15–4
1949	New Mexico	14–13	Albuquerque	UNM 21–15–4
1950	New Mexico	26–13	Las Cruces	UNM 22–15–4
1951	New Mexico	21–0	Albuquerque	UNM 23–15–4
1952	New Mexico	23–0	Las Cruces	UNM 24–15–4
1953	New Mexico	28–6	Albuquerque	UNM 25–15–4
1954	New Mexico	39–27	Las Cruces	UNM 26–15–4
1955	New Mexico	14–7	Albuquerque	UNM 27–15–4
1956	New Mexico	14–6	Las Cruces	UNM 28–15–4
1957	New Mexico	25–7	Albuquerque	UNM 29–15–4
1958	New Mexico	16–7	Las Cruces	UNM 30–15–4
1959	NM State	29–12	Albuquerque	UNM 30–16–4
1960	NM State	34–0	Las Cruces	UNM 30–17–4
1961	New Mexico	41–7	Albuquerque	UNM 31–17–4
1962	New Mexico	28–17	Las Cruces	UNM 32–17–4

1963	NM State	13–12	Albuquerque	UNM 32–18–4
1964	New Mexico	18–14	Las Cruces	UNM 33–18–4
1965	NM State	20–6	Albuquerque	UNM 33–19–4
1966	NM State	47–12	Las Cruces	UNM 33–20–4
1967	NM State	54–7	Albuquerque	UNM 33–21–4
1968	NM State	33–6	Las Cruces	UNM 33–22–4
1969	New Mexico	24–21	Albuquerque	UNM 34–22–4
1970	New Mexico	24–17	Las Cruces	UNM 35–22–4
1971	Tie	35–35	Albuquerque	UNM 35–22–5
1972	New Mexico	55–20	Las Cruces	UNM 36–22–5
1973	New Mexico	48–6	Albuquerque	UNM 37–22–5
1974	New Mexico	26–24	Las Cruces	UNM 38–22–5
1975	New Mexico	52–28	Albuquerque	UNM 39–22–5
1976	NM State	16–7	Las Cruces	UNM 39–23–5
1977	New Mexico	35–13	Albuquerque	UNM 40–23–5
1978	New Mexico	35–20	Las Cruces	UNM 41–23–5
1979	New Mexico	30–16	Albuquerque	UNM 42–23–5
1980	New Mexico	52–19	Las Cruces	UNM 43–23–5
1981	New Mexico	17–13	Albuquerque	UNM 44–23–5
1982	New Mexico	66–14	Las Cruces	UNM 45–23–5
1983	New Mexico	31–10	Albuquerque	UNM 46–23–5
1984	New Mexico	61–21	Las Cruces	UNM 47–23–5
1985	New Mexico	34–27	Albuquerque	UNM 48–23–5
1986	New Mexico	45–14	Las Cruces	UNM 49–23–5
1987	NM State	17–14	Albuquerque	UNM 49–24–5
1988	New Mexico	36–34	Las Cruces	UNM 50–24–5
1989	New Mexico	45–3	Albuquerque	UNM 51–24–5
1990	New Mexico	29–12	Las Cruces	UNM 52–24–5
1991	New Mexico	17–10	Albuquerque	UNM 53–24–5
1992	NM State	42–39	Las Cruces	UNM 53–25–5
1993	New Mexico	42–7	Albuquerque	UNM 54–25–5
1994	New Mexico	56–31	Las Cruces	UNM 55–25–5
1995	New Mexico	36–24	Albuquerque	UNM 56–25–5
1996	New Mexico	28–7	Las Cruces	UNM 57–25–5
1997	New Mexico	61–24	Albuquerque	UNM 58–25–5
1998	NM State	28–27	Las Cruces	UNM 58–26–5
1999	NM State	35–28	Albuquerque	UNM 58–27–5
2000	New Mexico	16–13	Las Cruces	UNM 59–27–5
2001	New Mexico	53–0	Albuquerque	UNM 60–27–5
2002	NM State	24–13	Las Cruces	UNM 60–28–5
2003	New Mexico	24–17	Albuquerque	UNM 61–28–5
2004	New Mexico	38–3	Las Cruces	UNM 62–28–5
2005	New Mexico	38–21	Albuquerque	UNM 63–28–5
2006	New Mexico	34–28	Las Cruces	UNM 64–28–5
2007	New Mexico	44–34	Albuquerque	UNM 65–28–5
2008	New Mexico	35–24	Las Cruces	UNM 66–28–5
2009	NM State	20–17	Albuquerque	UNM 66–29–5
2010	NM State	16–14	Las Cruces	UNM 66–30–5
2011	NM State	42–28	Albuquerque	UNM 66–31–5
2012	New Mexico	27–14	Las Cruces	UNM 67–31–5
2013	New Mexico	66–17	Albuquerque	UNM 68–31–5
2014	New Mexico	38–35	Las Cruces	UNM 69–31–5
2015	New Mexico	38–29	Albuquerque	UNM 70–31–5

Men's Basketball

The men's basketball series between the schools has been more competitive than football, although UNM holds the all-time advantage in that series as well. Currently the Lobos hold a 118–96 advantage all-time over the Aggies. The most recent meeting in the series was a 69–67 Lobos victory at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces^[1] on December 20, 2014, the second of two meetings for the 2014–15 season. The December 19, 2007 contest was the 200th all-time meeting between the schools.

The UNM–NMSU series is somewhat unique among non-conference rivalries in that the schools traditionally play a two-game home-and-home series each season (another example of such a rivalry is the Nashville mid-major matchup between Belmont and Lipscomb). Most other rivalries in which the schools are not members of the same conference usually only meet once per season. Although a few individuals have proposed cutting the series back to a more conventional single annual meeting, fan sentiment at both schools remains strong for preserving the traditional two meetings per season format.

Women's Basketball

The women's basketball series between UNM and NMSU has been defined by extended streaks of dominance by one program over the other. Prior to the mid-1990s the Roadrunners (as NMSU's women's programs were known prior to 2000) were dominant, winning the first meeting by a 57–53 tally on February 1, 1974 and proceeding to win 24 of the first 35 meetings between the schools. Between 1985 and 1995 NMSU ran off a streak of 16 consecutive wins over their in-state rivals. This stretch also covered a two-year period in which UNM did not field a women's basketball team. However on November 24, 1996 UNM turned the tables on NMSU in a big way. The Lobos' 48–47 win on that day in Las Cruces started a 22-game winning streak by UNM over NMSU that continued unbroken, despite a few close calls, through the 2006–07 season. But on December 2, 2007 the Lady Aggies ended 11 years of frustration against their instate rivals by knocking off the Lady Lobos 58–42 at the Pan Am Center. The all-time series now stands at 47–22 in favor of UNM, after the Lady Lobos beat NMSU 65–60 on December 30, 2010, at The Pit in Albuquerque. Like the men's teams, the UNM and NMSU women also traditionally play two games per year against each other, one game in each city.