ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — University of New Mexico director of athletics, Rudy Davalos, announced that the New Mexico football team has accepted an invitation to play in the SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 25 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. UNM will make just its second bowl appearance in the past 41 years and first under fifth-year head coach Rocky Long. As the second place team in the Mountain West Conference, New Mexico (7-6, 5-2 MWC) will face UCLA (7-5, 4-4 Pac-10). The Bruins tied for fourth place in the Pac-10. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1:30 p.m. (PST) on Christmas Day and will be televised live on ESPN.
“Speaking on behalf of all Lobo fans, the University of New Mexico is thrilled about accepting an invitation to play in the SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl,” said Davalos. “We are committed to bringing a large contingent of cherry-and-silver-clad New Mexico fans to one of most exciting cities in the world. The Lobo faithful will invade Las Vegas to have a wonderful time and watch a great football game against the Bruins.”
After starting the year 2-4, the Lobos won five of their final seven games, including four of their last five to finish the regular season. New Mexico posted a 7-6 record and finished in sole possession of second place in the MWC with a 5-2 mark. UNM also has the distinction of being the only school in the nation to increase its win total every year since 1999. New Mexico’s last bowl appearance was in the 1997 Insight.com Bowl in Tucson, Ariz. The Lobos were defeated by the University of Arizona 20-14.
“We’re extremely excited about playing in the SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl against a good UCLA team,” said Long. “Our football team has been faced with some major challenges over the past four months, so it is very satisfying to be in this position. To be picked sixth in the preseason and then finish in second place says a lot about the character of the kids in our program. We finished in second place and we’re going to the bowl that has the second pick. That’s the way it should be.”
SEGA Sports is in its second year as title sponsor, though the Las Vegas Bowl has been played every year since 1992. Last year, a record crowd of 30,896 saw Utah defeat USC, 10-6, in the first Las Vegas Bowl played on Christmas Day.