Lobo football notes: Mountain West gives glimpse into league scheduling for 2023-25
Jul. 15—This upcoming season is the final year the Mountain West Conference will use the Mountain and West Divisions.
It's time for a new format, and the league announced on Thursday a new schedule rotation for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons for each teams' eight-game conference slate.
The University of New Mexico and the 11 other Mountain West teams will play nine teams twice in a three-year span, once home and once away. In addition, each team will play two teams three times, with a team hosting twice and traveling once, and vice-versa.
UNM will face Boise State in each of those seasons, twice on the road, and San Jose State three times, hosting the Spartans twice.
UNM will now host Utah State, Hawaii, San Jose State and UNLV in 2023 and travel to Boise State, Wyoming, Fresno State and Nevada.
In 2024, the Lobos will host Air Force, Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State while traveling to Colorado State, Utah State, Hawaii and San Jose State.
In 2025, UNM hosts Colorado State, Wyoming, Nevada and San Jose State while traveling to Air Force, Boise State, San Diego State and UNLV.
The Lobos will miss the following opponents no those years:
⋄ 2023: Air Force, Colorado State, San Diego State
⋄ 2024: Wyoming, UNLV, Nevada
⋄ 2025: Utah State, Hawaii, Fresno State
The revised format intends to ensure the top two teams meet in the championship game and put the league in the best position for a place in the College Football Playoff. The new schedule rotation will also allow MWC institutions to play each other more often.
NEW ASSISTANTS: Geno Ramsey and Jalen Harvey are the two new assistants hired within the past month.
They are products of a promise President Garnett Stokes made to coach Danny Gonzales when he was hired three years ago.
Gonzales wanted at least two off-the-field, non-position coaches to be on his staff to help the program with organization and with turning every rock so as to not miss any recruits.
When Gonzales got the OK to make the hires, he immediately thought of Geno Ramsey, 42, to become the director of recruiting, and Jaley Harvey, 26, to be the director of player development.
Ramsey, who is on a one-year, $40,000 contract, had been trying to break into NCAA Division I coaching since 2014. He spent the past 12 seasons as the recruiting coordinator and wide receiver coach for the Mt. San Jacinto Eagles.
Through the years, he built a strong rapport with Gonzales. The Inland Empire includes San Jacinto and Riverside counties in California, and it has been Gonzales' main recruiting area throughout his career. Ramsey and Gonzales agree that the Inland Empire has the same type of landscape, climate and feel as Albuquerque. There are many desert areas in Riverside County.
Ramsey knows he'll have to expand his recruiting knowledge.
"My main thing is evaluation; organize the structure of the prospects," Ramsey said. "Then find the diamonds in the rough. Then on top of that acquire the best athletes that are foreseeable for the University of New Mexico. A lot of times people will look at getting the four-star guys and not take into account if it's the right guy for the direction of the program. The main thing is acquiring top players that want to be a Lobo, that fits the blue-collar program of being held accountable and disciplined."
Harvey, who is on a one-year, $50,000 contract, arrived at UNM in March, when he became an intern after he had just decided he wanted to become a coach.
Harvey first met Gonzales during Harvey's final year as a player at Arizona State in 2018 and Gonzales' first season with the Sun Devils as the defensive coordinator. That year, Harvey says, he made the transition from offense to defense.
It didn't take long for Harvey to put his confidence on display.
"It was just funny. I was sitting up in a room and I told him, 'I'm the best that you got,'" Ramsey said. "He said, 'Just prove it.' Ever since then I've always rolled with that. He gave me a new chance right now."
Harvey said he's excited to prepare football players for personal academic and athletic development. He wants to guide the players in their final year to prepare them for life after football or for a chance at a pro opportunity.
REAL NEWS: The Mountain West football media days take place Wednesday and Thursday at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The preseason All-MW teams will be announced as well as team rankings in each division.
RED-FEST: When the Lobos play host to Boise State on Friday, Sept. 9, it will be their "Red Out" game. Fans will be asked to wear cherry to match up with the Lobos' debut uniform set. The game against the Broncos is the second of three straight home games for UNM, as the Lobos open with Maine on Sept. 3 and take on UTEP on Sept. 17.
Mountain West football
The league on Thursday announced schedule rotations for 2023-25. As of today, there will be 12 teams, each playing eight league games during those three seasons. New Mexico will play Boise State and San Jose State each season and will play the league's other nine teams twice in that three-year span. The Lobos' league assignments, with home opponents in bold (dates unannounced):
2023: San Jose State, Hawaii, UNLV, Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, Wyoming
2024: San Jose State, Hawaii, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise State, Air Force, Fresno State, San Diego State
2025: San Jose State, Colorado State, Nevada, Wyoming, Air Force, Boise State, San Diego State, UNLV
