Downloadable 2017 Schedule | Online 2017 Schedule
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The 2017 Mountain West Football Schedule was released on Thursday, and seven 2016 bowl teams dot the schedule for The University of New Mexico. Included in that schedule is a tough three-game stretch over September’s final three weeks that will see the Lobos face off with three teams that went 10-3 in 2016, two of those on the road.
The announcement of the schedule is the first of several phases by the Mountain West. In the next phase, CBS Sports Network and ESPN will initiate a selection procedure which will also include the shifting of particular games to Thursdays and Fridays. That will be followed by the identification of national network outlets and kick times, along with the picks for regional partner ROOT SPORTS, the Mountain West Network on Campus Insiders and OC Sports (Hawaii).
Overall, New Mexico will have six games at home and six on the road. After opening with two straight at home (Abilene Christian on September 2 and New Mexico State on September 9), the Lobos will open that tough three game stretch with its Mountain West opener, at Boise State, on September 16. The Broncos went 10-3 and shared the Mountain Division title in 2016 with New Mexico and Wyoming but lost to Baylor 31-12 in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl.
Then UNM goes back to non-conference action to complete its two game home-and-home series with Tulsa, which went 10-3 and won the Miami Beach Bowl 55-10 over Central Michigan before returning home for its conference home opener against Air Force on September 30. The Falcons, who UNM beat 45-40 in Dallas last year, went 10-3 and defeated South Alabama 45-21 in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl.
After a bye week on October 7, UNM alternates it final seven games home and away, starting on the road at Fresno State. After a two-year block of playing Nevada, San José State and Hawai’i from the West Division, UNM now switches to Fresno State, UNLV and San Diego State. Fresno State went 1-11 last season but has a new coach in former Cal coach Jeff Tedford.
October 21 will see the Colorado State Rams come to University Stadium. CSU went 7-6 and lost the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to Idaho 61-50. UNM then heads to Laramie for an October 28 matchup with the other team that UNM shared the Mountain Division title with, Wyoming. The Cowboys went 8-6 last season, losing to BYU 24-21 in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
November begins with Utah State coming to University Stadium. The Aggies went 3-9 last year, and UNM won a thriller 24-21 in Logan after winning 16-14 in Albuquerque in the last matchup in the Duke City. The Lobos step out for their final non-conference game in a matchup with SEC West power Texas A&M. Last season the Aggies (the third team nicknamed the Aggies on the schedule for UNM) went 8-5 and lost the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl 33-28 to Kansas State.
UNM’s final two conference games are against West Division foes UNLV and San Diego State. The Lobos host UNLV on November 18 before travelling on the road after Thanksgiving to San Diego to face off against the Aztecs and former Lobo coach and student-athlete Rocky Long. The Aztecs won the Mountain West championship last year, going 11-3 and defeating Houston 34-10 in the Las Vegas Bowl, presented by Geico.
The Mountain West championship game will be played at the host site of either the Mountain or West Division champions on December 2.
Overall, five of the seven Bowl teams from 2016 are road games for UNM. The Lobos, who went 9-4 and were Gildan New Bowl Champions after defeating UTSA 23-20, have won seven of its last eight games. The Lobos led the nation in a number of offensive categories last season, including rushing yards per game, averaging 350.0, and yards per carry. UNM also led the nation in runs of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 yards.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
With season ticket packages starting at just $86, fans can ensure they will see each home game of the 2017 Lobo Football schedule. To purchase new season tickets, call 505-925-LOBO, log on unmtickets.com or visit the WisePies Arena Ticket Office Monday through Friday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time. 2016 Lobo Football season ticket holders will have their seats held through the renewal process, which begins in early April.