Sport Football Meetings total 107 | Next meeting 2017 | |
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First meeting January 1, 1894
New Mexico 18, New Mexico State 6 Latest meeting September 10, 2016
New Mexico State 32, New Mexico 31 All-time series New Mexico leads 70–32–5 | ||
The New Mexico–New Mexico State football rivalry, known as the Rio Grande Rivalry in all sports, is an annual football game between the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.
Series history
The rivalry between New Mexico's only two NCAA Division I institutions dates back to Jan. 1, 1894 – eighteen years before New Mexico achieved statehood – when the schools met in a football contest in Albuquerque. While it is clear that New Mexico won that first game, school records seem to disagree on the score. According to New Mexico media guides the final score was 25–5 but according to New Mexico State media guides the score was 18–6. By the time New Mexico entered the union in 1912 UNM and New Mexico A&M (as NMSU was known prior to 1959) had already met on the gridiron six times. Beginning in 1993, the two universities played for the Maloof Trophy, but it was short-lived; the trophy was retired in 2000. Until 1937 the series was competitive with the Aggies holding a 15–12–4 lead over the Lobos. Since 1938 the Lobos have dominated the series 54–16–1 except during 1959–1968 when the Aggies won 7 of 10 meetings. The Lobos all-time advantage is 70–31–5, however the rivalry remains spirited. Most recently the Aggies defeated the Lobos 32–31 on September 10, 2016. The September 26, 2009 game when the Aggies won 20–17 in Albuquerque was the 100th time the teams had played each other.