Advertisement

Phill Casaus: Back in the old days, there was an Aggie-Lobo rivalry

phill casaus, the santa fe new mexican
·5 min read

Jun. 3—Grandpa, what was the Lobo-Aggie rivalry?

Well, buddy, it was important a long time ago. People here had a thing for men's college basketball, and the teams from the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State used to play twice a year — once in Albuquerque, once in Las Cruces. Had a lot of interest here. Believe it or not, it used to be important a long way from the state, too.

No way! Really?

kAm*FA] q6=:6G6 :E ?@E[ H2J 324:? E96 'he_D[ E96 {@3@D 2?5 p88:6D H6C6 C68F=2C=J :? E96 E@A '_] %96J H6C6 D@ 8@@5[ E96 DE2E6 3F:=E E96> EH@ ?:46 2C6?2D E@ 92?5=6 2== E96 72?D] xE >2J 92G6 366? @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 7@CH2C5\E9:?6] %96 @?6 :? {2D rCF46D :D 42==65 E96 !2? p>6C:42? r6?E6C] xE H2D 24EF2==J E96 C62= !:E — =@F5 2?5 ?2DEJ H96? :E H2D 7:==65] qFE E96 =@F?86 H2D 2=H2JD @FED:56i $EF56?ED FD65 E@ 86E E2?A @FE E@ 86E E96 D62ED ?62C E96 7=@@C] t2D:6C E@ DA:E 2E E96 {@3@D E92E H2J]k^Am

kAmk6>m(9@ 925 E96 36EE6C AC@8C2>nk^6>mk^Am

kAms@?'E E6== J@FC 8C2?5>2 x D2:5 E9:D @C D96'== DE2CE D:?8:?8 E96 p88:6 7:89E D@?8[ H9:49 :D C62==J 2 5C:?@C6 }rpp %@FC?2>6?ED 2?5 @?46[ 324:? 'hf_[ H6?E E@ E96 u:?2= u@FC] %96 {@3@D ?6G6C >256 :E E@ E96 $H66E 'e] %96:C 36DE 492?46 H2D :? 'hfg[ H96? 2== E96J 925 E@ 5@ H2D 362E r2= $E2E6\uF==6CE@? :? E96 7:CDE C@F?5 367@C6 8@:?8 324E@ p=3FBF6CBF6 7@C E96 (6DE #68:@?2=] qFE E96 {@3@D =@DE] tG6C H2?E E@ 86E 2 {@3@ C62= >25n pD'6> 23@FE r2= $E2E6\(9@n ~C 36EE6C J6E[ 2D'6> :7 E96J 6G6C 362E w2CG2C5]k^Am

kAmk6>mw2CG2C5nk^6>mk^Am

kAm*629] qFE E92E'D 2?@E96C DE@CJ]k^Am

kAmk6>m$@[ x mk^Am

kAm(6==[ E92E'D 2 =:EE=6 4@>A=:42E65] u@C @?6 E9:?8[ 4@==686 DA@CED[ E96 @C6] %96J'C6 >@C6 =:2@?6J E@ C6E:C6 E@ q6=:K6 367@C6 E96J'C6 c_] %9@D6 3:8 2C6?2D :? {2D rCF46D 2?5 p=3FBF6CBF6 H6C6?'E 6G6? 92=7\7F== 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6[ 2?5 :E H2D?'E ;FDE 3642FD6 }6H |6I:4@ $E2E6 A=2J65 :? >:?@C 4@?76C6?46D 2?5 }6H |6I:4@ 4@F=5?'E 362E p:C u@C46]k^Am

kAm$66[ :E 2== 492?865 :? a_aa] xE H2D D25] %96C6 H2D 2 7:89E 2E 2 {@3@\p88:6 7@@E32== 82>6 — 5@?'E 86E >6 DE2CE65 @? 7@@E32== — 2?5 D@>6 &}| 564:565 E96J'5 86E C6G6?86 H96? E96 p88:6D 42>6 E@ E@H? 7@C 32D 2?5 96 3C@F89E 2 8F?] (96? 96 8@E 2EE24] %96 D49@@=D 42?46=65 E96 82>6D E92E J62C]k^Am

kAmk6>ms:5 E96J A=2J 282:?nk^6>mk^Am

kAm~9[ DFC6] %96J 9F7765 2?5 AF7765 — p88:6D 2?5 {@3@D =:A@CE2?Ej E96J 5@?'E F?56CDE2?5 z6?EF46 2 J62Cj ?@E 9@>6 2?5 9@>6 2D E96J'5 5@?6 7@C 564256D]k^Am

kAm%CFE9 :D[ E96 4@2496D ?6G6C C62==J H2?E65 E@ A=2J 6249 @E96C EH:46] xE 925 2 =@E E@ 5@ H:E9 E96:C A@H6C :?56I6D @C H92E6G6C E96 4@>AFE6C 866:?6 H9@ 8@E :?E@ E96 E@FC?2>6?E] qFE E92E'D H92E 4@==686 DA@CED EFC?65 :?E@] %96 8FJD H:E9 E96 :?7=F6?46 H6C6?'E A@H6C 7@CH2C5D @C A@:?E 8F2C5D[ 3FE %' ?6EH@C6 2E #FE86CD E@?:89E] x :?FE6D 367@C6 vC2?5>2 >26 E2J |6E2>F4:=] x H@?'E 86E E@ E96 6?5] |26 D=66AJ]k^Am

kAmk6>m$@ :7 E96 {@3@D 2?5 p88:6D 5:5?'E A=2J 6249 @E96C EH:46 27E6C a_aa[ H9@ 5:5 E96J A=2Jnk^6>m k^Am

kAm(6==[ :E'D :?E6C6DE:?8] %96 {@3@D 8@E E96>D6=G6D :?E@ E@FC?2>6?ED =:6?E[ D@ E96 {@3@D ;F>A65 2E E96 492?46] %96 p88:6D ;FDE D4965F=65 2?@E96C 82>6 282:?DE (6DE6C? }6H |6I:4@ 367@C6 E96:C 3:8 4@?76C6?46 >2E49FA 282:?DE %6I2D\$2? p?E@?:@] ~C :D :E %6I2D\!2? p>6C:42?n x 42? ?6G6C D DEC2:89E]k^Am

kAmk6>m(@F=5?'E J@F H2?E E@ A=2J sFm k^Am

kAm*@F H@F=5] qFE =:@C6[ ?@E 6G6? 7@C 2 C@25 82>6] xE'D ?@E 2== E96:C 72F=E] %96 3:8 4@?76C6?46D ;FDE 8@33=65 FA 2== E96 D49@@=D E92E 5C2H 2 =@E @7 %' D6ED] (6 5@?'E 92G6 2 =@E @7 %' D6ED]k^Am

kAmk6>m$@F?5D =::DD E96 p88:6D 2?5 {@3@D 7C@> E96 @=5 52JD[ vC2?5A2]k^6>mk^Am

kAm(6==[ 3F5[ x 5@] %96C6'D 24EF2==J 2 AC6EEJ AC@F5 9:DE@CJ :? E92E C:G2=CJ] %96D6 ?2>6D >62? ?@E9:?8 E@ J@F[ 3FE x C6>6>36C E96>i !6E:6 v:3D@?] $2> {246J] y:>>J r@==:?D] {@F w6?D@?] }@C> t==6?36C86C] q@3 z:?8] #@? }6=D@?] $=23 y@?6D] |2CG:? y@9?D@?] s2G6 q=:DD] |:4926= r@@A6C] $2> rC2H7@C5] #2?5J qC@H?] }6:= |4r2CE9J] #@3 #@33:?D] {F4 {@?8=6J ]]]k^Am

kAmk6>mvC2?5A2[ x'> D@CCJ] x 8@EE2 8@] %96C6'D 2? 6DA@CED 82>6 @? >J 46==A9@?6 E92E >6 2?5 >J 3F55:6D 2C6 8@??2 H2E49]k^6>mk^Am

kAm~9[ J629n (9@'D A=2J:?8nk^Am

kAmk6>mxE'D %6I2D\!6C>:2? q2D:? 282:?DE $@FE96C? ~C68@?] q:8 82>6Pk^6>mk^Am

Phill Casaus is editor of The New Mexican.