ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- In conjunction with HB Construction, the official Rio Grande Rivalry Series is back, with a new all-sports traveling trophy for the series champion.
“There’s a special energy when UNM and NMSU compete, and that energy reaches communities across New Mexico,” said Zach Gruen, Executive Vice President and incoming CEO of HB Construction. “We’re proud to support the Rio Grande Rivalry and help celebrate the student-athletes who put in the work, represent their schools, and make every matchup matter.”
Purpose
The renewed Rio Grande Rivalry Series celebrates New Mexico’s universities, the student-athletes who represent them, and the pride and tradition surrounding competition between the Lobos and Aggies. By extending the rivalry across the full athletic calendar, the series gives every matchup added meaning while promoting spirited competition, sportsmanship, and recognition for student-athletes across both programs.
With active offices in both Albuquerque and Las Cruces, HB Construction sees the Rio Grande Rivalry as an opportunity to celebrate the talent, ambition, and potential coming out of New Mexico’s universities. Through its “Your Talent Belongs in Our Industry” campaign, HB is working to connect that talent with the many career paths available in construction, from the field to engineering, project management, technology, finance, and beyond. The partnership reflects the belief that New Mexico’s future depends on creating opportunities for talented people to build their careers here.
Series Rules
Points will be awarded for all sports played between the two schools. In sports with multiple matchups, the overall series winner gets the points.
For the sports of football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s tennis, the head-to-head winner will claim the points, or, in the event of a series of games between the two, the overall series winner will claim the points (see points table below).
For men’s golf and women’s golf, the winner of the match play head-to-head event in the NB3 Matchplay at Twin Warriors will earn the points. For men’s and women’s cross country, the points will go to whichever team finishes higher in the NCAA Regional meet. For all track and field sports, the points will go to whichever team finishes with more points at the NCAA Championships. If neither team earns points in a regional or championship, each team will split the points, one point each. Overall, there are 40 points to be won, so the first school to hit 21 points will take the trophy.
This season, the Rio Grande Rivalry is tied 1-1, with soccer playing to a draw on September 12. New Mexico has a 1-0 lead in the two-game volleyball series, with the second match postponed due to travel issues for NMSU, and a makeup date is expected soon.