by Frank Mercogliano

Lobo Football Announces Completion of $7.5-million Tow Diehm Facility Expansion Project

Lobo Football Announces Completion of $7.5-million Tow Diehm Facility Expansion ProjectLobo Football Announces Completion of $7.5-million Tow Diehm Facility Expansion Project

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- In 2025, a lot of “behind the scenes” work by the Lobo Football staff, led by Jason Eck, manifested itself into a record-breaking campaign.

*The most wins ever by a first-year Lobo head coach (9)
*The first time playing in a bowl game with a first-year head coach (Rate Bowl)
*Tied a school record for conference wins, and tied for first place in the Mountain West (6)
*The first sell-out of University Stadium in 18 years.
*The first Power-4 win (35-10 over UCLA) in 17 years)
*The first unbeaten home season in 62 years (5-0 in 1963)
*The nation’s highest percentage increase in attendance (57.8%)

Some other “behind the scenes” work is finishing up, and with some final pieces in place, Lobo Football is positioned for an exciting and winning future. The expansion of the Tow Diehm facility will allow Lobo Football not only to win games during the season but also to win the off-season in player nutrition, health, and recruiting.

“It’s an exciting time for our program, and being able to expand our athletic performance space and meeting space while doubling our athletic performance space has been a key piece for us, both during the season and recruiting,” said reigning Mountain West Coach of the Year Jason Eck. “It’s been incredible to have so many of our former players come back, see the new spaces and what’s coming, and you can hear the pride in their voices that we are moving this program forward in an exciting way.”

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Before the new team room was ready for team use, it was debuted as the backdrop to Coach Eck's appearance on the Pate State Speaker Series, hosted by one of the nation's leading voices on college football, Josh Pate.

The highlights of the project are the addition of a dedicated team room and the expansion of the Mark Paulsen Strength & Conditioning Center. The weight room expansion increased the space to 4,876 square feet, with 2,450 square feet renovated. It is the most noticeable expansion from the outside, as it encloses the former covered outdoor space and seamlessly integrates it into the existing building architecture.

The weight room expansion makes room for one of the program's most needed areas: the new nutrition space and fueling center. Created in a “Grab-and-Go” style, the facility will allow players to access nutrition and catering whenever the facility is open. The space allows players to immerse themselves in the facility outside of class, minimizing downtime and fostering team building within the program.

Perhaps the key piece of the expansion is the addition of a new 120-seat, 2,334-square-foot auditorium-style team room in the lower southeast portion of the facility, perfect for team film, meetings, and game preparation. The new auditorium is located between the locker room and the expanded weight room, improving flow and ingress/egress for the team.. Fans got a glimpse of the new space as Coach Eck joined Josh Pate for the Pate State Speaker Series, one of the top college football podcasts nationally.

The project had one phase completed prior to the 2025 season: the expansion of the equipment space. The expansion, which more than tripled the previous Tow Diehm space, now allows gear and equipment to be stored in Tow Diehm rather than in the Maloof Center, which is located outside the stadium.

The capital improvements were most noticeable to the numerous alumni who returned to University Stadium in 2025 to watch UNM. Whether it was former quarterbacks Lamar Jordan and Cole Gautsche or all-time greats like Brian Urlacher, the returning players were unanimous in their praise for the improvements. Not just in the scope and what it means for the program, but what it means for them as alums, and the pride that Lobo Football is moving forward in a path that will continue UNM’s upward trajectory.

“The Tow Diehm Facility project is an important and vital component of our plan for continued facility improvements for Lobo Football,” said Vice President/Director of Athletics Ryan Berryman. “Our goal is to be a leader in the Mountain West, to compete for championships, and to put the welfare of our student-athletes first. We are incredibly grateful to the members of the New Mexico State Legislature who made this project possible.”

The capital projects continue the momentum into a strong off-season for Lobo Football. The “Real Ones” campaign has showcased the amount of talent returning to the program for a run at a Mountain West title. After a 9-4 season with the fewest returning players in the FBS, UNM returns the most starters and production in the Mountain West entering the 2026 season

UNM opens the 2026 season on September 5 with an 8:00 pm home matchup with Central Michigan of the MAC on FS1 before hosting Mercyhurst on September 12. UNM will then travel for two non-conference games, taking on Oklahoma in Norman on September 19 on ESPN2 before the Rio Grande Rivalry against New Mexico State on September 26 on CBS Sports Network.

The Lobos will host UTEP (October 3), North Dakota State (Oct. 24), UNLV (Nov. 14), and Air Force (Nov. 27) in Mountain West play, with road games at Hawai’i (Oct. 17), San José State (Oct. 31), Nevada (Nov. 6), and Wyoming (Nov. 20).