ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—It’s time to find out what happens with no New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl.
Saturday’s matchup between Colorado State (6-6) and Fresno State (7-5) marks the first time the third-year bowl won’t involve the hometown New Mexico Lobos, who lost to San Jose State in 2006 and beat Nevada last year.
At a community luncheon last week to promote the game, coaches from both teams expressed a shared belief that fans from their schools will travel to Albuquerque to help fill the stadium.
“They’ll be renting every bus in Fresno,” Bulldogs coach Pat Hill declared.
That’s great, but the longterm success of the game—matching teams from the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conference—will be defined by fans in Albuquerque, so the attendance figure will be closely watched.
There were 34,111 fans at 40,094-capacity University Stadium for the inaugural New Mexico Bowl in 2006. Last year, 30,223 fans saw the Lobos win a postseason contest for the first time in 46 years.
“I believe this community wants an event of this stature and wants to see it grow,” New Mexico Bowl executive director Jeff Siembieda said. “We’ve got one annual national event in our sports world and it’s this one.”
This year’s game comes a month after Rocky Long, announcing his decision to resign after 11 seasons as New Mexico coach, criticized Albuquerque’s lukewarm support for college football.
With the Lobos ineligible for this year’s postseason after their 4-8 season, it didn’t help the New Mexico Bowl’s ticketing prospects when downstate rival New Mexico State flopped to a 3-9 record.
Things looked promising for the Aggies when they were 3-2 after a road win at Nevada on Oct. 11. Then came a seven-game losing streak and this month’s firing of coach Hal Mumme.
New Mexico State owns the nation’s current longest streak without a bowl appearance, last playing in the 1960 Sun Bowl.
With a three-hour drive up Interstate 25 from Las Cruces and plenty of alumni in the region, it’s logical to see the Aggies in the Albuquerque game—if they could just win enough games to become bowl eligible.
“One day they will,” Siembieda said. “This year, we’re thrilled with Fresno State.”
Siembieda said organizers have an obligation to offer fans “an attractive matchup” and he feels they’ve done their part. He also said the bowl, owned by ESPN, is assured of a game next year and is negotiating to extend the contract.
“It will get better and it has gotten better,” he said. “It’s up to the community now to come up and support it.”
Meanwhile, schools like Arizona State and Boise State have successfully built up their football programs after their communities landed hometown bowls. But will fans in Albuquerque do their part?
“I hope the people of Albuquerque come out and show their support,” Colorado State athletics director Paul Kowalczyk said. “These bowls are only as successful as the locals will allow. It’s as fun as you want to make it.”
