Last season, the New Mexico Lobos came into the year with a lot of questions surrounding them. Those questions were quickly answered by new head coach Eric Olen and his squad, exploding onto the scene, posting a 26-11 record and finishing third in the Mountain West while making a deep run in the NIT ...
On Day 9 of the Lobos’ fall football camp, the whistles sounded the same, but the collisions didn’t. After eight practices of wrapping and tagging, the Lobos finally got to hit at full speed during their scrimmage Saturday. Quarterbacks Luke Moga and Toa Fa’avae left their usual gray practice jerseys in the locker room, instead sporting red ones that signal to the defense they weren’t off-limits anymore.
The Albuquerque Isotopes returned home red hot last week, as they swept the Chihuahuas in El Paso during their six-game series at the end of July. They looked to build on their streak as they challenged the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, and while the Isotopes were tested throughout this series, they came out on top, winning four of six games, including the last two.
To say things got chippy Tuesday night would be an understatement. It’s hard to imagine head coach Jason Eck’s bingo card for this week had “break up a fight” on it, but when the pads come on, the competitive nature turns up a few notches — maybe a few too many notches. The Lobos are closing in on a full week's worth of practices after equipping the full set of pads under the lights Tuesday night. The Lobos invited a batch of referees to practice for live team periods, the first of which so far during camp.
The pads — well, just shoulder pads— have been equipped for Days 3-4 of Lobos fall camp. While four days isn’t enough to deem a surefire starter at quarterback, nor at any other position without a clear-cut starter or starters, there’s more than enough to feel confident about heading into the second season under head coach Jason Eck.
Running back Cameron Mathews approached the practice field Wednesday at approximately 8:45 a.m., shouting and yelling with excitement. But he wasn’t as loud as offensive lineman Malik Aliane, who roared “let’s go” as he jogged onto the field. Lobo football is back in action. The New Mexico Lobos have completed the first two days of fall camp, including their second under head coach Jason Eck. The biggest takeaways from the first two practices may not entirely include action on the field, but rather who is back on it.
For most observers, The Enchantment’s TBT run was just another ordinary three-game series resulting in disappointment. But for the players, it felt like a month's worth of adversity packed into five days.
After their match versus Birmingham Legion FC was postponed last week, New Mexico United were eager to be back at home against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in USL Championship action. New Mexico won a physical battle as goalkeeper Kris Shakes delivered another clean sheet for United to prevail 1-0. Much of the game was anything but clean though, as there were 33 fouls and 24 total tackles combined between the two squads.
After a losing series versus the Sacramento River Cats, the Albuquerque Isotopes were back in action at home to battle the Round Rock Express in their six-game series.
Just two weeks after the All-Star break, the 2026 Major League Baseball season has been unpredictable, especially in the National League West. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have dominated much of the conversation, but the Arizona Diamondbacks have quietly positioned themselves as a legitimate threat to both teams.
It was a death by a thousand cuts for The Enchantment on Friday night, as their TBT run came to an end after a nail-biting Game three loss to the reigning TBT champion, AfterShocks, 73-67.
The Enchantment looked enchanted on Thursday night, as after a forgetful Game one performance, the team rewrote the narrative in Game two by defeating the AfterShocks on the road 74-68 to force a win-or-go-home Game three.
Whether it was a lack of chemistry, Donovan Dent’s last minute withdrawal or just drawing the unfortunate card of facing the defending TBT champions in the opening round — The Enchantment appeared simply outmatched during their first game of TBT play on Monday night.
After a bad series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Albuquerque Isotopes returned to the Duke City for a weekend homestand versus the Sacramento River Cats. Albuquerque had a huge Game two, but was not able to replicate that power, dropping the series 2-1.
Jake and Dax Hall — the two brothers from Carlsbad, California, who found their way to New Mexico — will now share the court with one another when basketball season comes back around in November — the second season in a row featuring siblings after Kevin Patton Jr. and Kallai Patton played with the team last year. In April, Dax Hall announced his commitment to the University of New Mexico, just one day after his older brother, Jake, announced he would be returning to UNM after a stint in the transfer portal. From an outside perspective, it would seem as if Dax’s commitment may have impacted Jake’s decision to return, but that's not the entire story.
New Mexico Track & Field alum and Scottish athlete Josh Kerr put himself in the record books on Saturday, July 18, achieving a mile time of 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League to break the men’s world record. The previous record was established in 1999 by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, who clocked in at 3:43.13. Prior to this race, Kerr was the sixth-fastest man in world history with a personal best of 3:45.34.
On Wednesday, July 15, the UNM Student Union Building atrium transformed from the quiet and empty space it becomes during the summer break into an energetic and tense environment as fans of all ages, on the edge of their seats, tuned in for the FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England. UNM Student Activities Center has reserved the atrium for gamedays throughout the summer, offering free watch parties with light refreshments and cold beverages at each game. The room had fans cheering for both teams, with Argentina fans enlivening the SUB after Lautaro Martínez scored their last-minute goal to take the match 2-1 and punch their ticket to the Final on Sunday.
This week, the Lobos took a trip northeast — dressed in their best black suits, matching red ties and pocket squares — prepared to answer a different set of questions than they faced before last season and the team’s eventual trip to the Rate Bowl. The newly-configured Mountain West Conference held its annual football Media Days at the Palms Resort and Casino, on Wednesday, July 15, and Tuesday, July 16. Each program was represented by their head coach and four player representatives to discuss their upcoming season.
Solutions by The State News
