It should be about as perfect a day for college football as you can have in Albuquerque.

Doors open 90 minutes prior to kickoff, opening at 5 pm and all parking lots (which open at 7 am) are accessed by right turns only. A reminder that UNM has a clear bag policy for all events, and that policy can be located here.

In the event of inclement weather or lightning, fans at the game will be directed on procedures via in-stadium announcements. For the latest Game Day updates, fans should follow @UNMLOBOS on X (formerly Twitter).

There are plenty of events surrounding the game, which is UNM’s Homecoming and also our “We Are New Mexico” celebration game and it all starts in the Howl Zone with a live band.  Along with the inflatables for the kids, Bubba’s will be available along with various vendors.  Fans have to stop by the Cherry On Top balloon which will be tethered in the Howl Zone for fans to get pictures with, and there will also be Low Riders on display for the pregame events in the Howl Zone as well.

The first 2,500 fans entering the stadium will receive a voucher for a free Cherry on Top Balloon bobble that might just be one of the coolest giveaways ever produced by UNM.  Brought to you be Pepsi, the entire balloon bobbles and is sure to be a talking piece for years for anyone that gets one.  The boble is a terrific replica of UNM’s Cherry On Top balloon, the same balloon that will be tethered in the Howl Zone.

Fans that get a voucher will be able to pick up their bobbleheads at one of the distribution tents in the North End Zone.

One of the all-time greats, Robin Cole, will be inducted as the seventh member of the Lobo Football Ring of Honor, alongside Mike Williams, Don Perkins, Bobby Santiago, Brian Urlacher, Terance Mathis and DonTrell Moore.  Cole will be inducted at the end of the first quarter, and he will also speak to the crowd during one of the first half media breaks.  Fans will definitely want to be there to celebrate one of the greatest to put on the cherry and silver (and in Robin’s case, the turquoise as well) in Robin Cole!

It’s our first night game, so fans need to download the Lobo Sports App from the app store to use their phones for a dynamic light show at the end of the third quarter during that break.  This isn’t a “turn on your cell phone flashlight” deal, but rather, a coordinated flashing light show with the music, the stadium lighting and your Lobo Sports App.  Fans will want to have the free app anyways as it’s the best way to get stats and the latest Lobo news, but certainly fans will want to be a part of the in-game experience at the end of the third quarter.

You can’t celebrate New Mexico without fireworks, and New Mexicans love a good fireworks show.  The postgame fireworks will take place just a few minutes after the final whistle.