The Albuquerque Isotopes faced off against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys last week in a homestand following a tough road trip with stops in Salt Lake City and Tacoma. However, Albuquerque looked rejuvenated this time after those rough outings, taking the series from the Space Cowboys 4-2.
The wheels are in motion for New Mexico Goatheads hockey ahead of their inaugural season as General Manager Jared Johnson announced former NHL player Zack Stortini would be the team’s first head coach on Saturday, June 20. “The biggest thing for us was him just wanting to be here and be excited about it,” Johnson said. “At the same time, he knows what it takes to get to the highest level. You don't see a lot of guys drop from the AHL to the ECHL on the coaching side, so for him to want to make that jump and be a head coach and choose to do it here was everything we needed to know about him.”
The University of New Mexico School of Law community is continuing to call for new leadership at the school after pressure for such change peaked this spring when students, faculty and alumni sent letters to UNM leadership, urging them to not recommend the renewal of Dean Camille Carey’s contract. During a press conference at the UNM School of Law on June 22, alumni spoke about their concerns, including admissions being primarily based on LSAT scores, low numbers of New Mexican and Indigenous students, inability to retain law school faculty and loss of confidence in the school's ability to support students with multiple grievances. The press conference was held to “demand Provost Barbara Rodriguez reject UNM School of Law Dean Camille Carey's contract renewal,” according to a press release from a representative for the Center for Civic Policy in Albuquerque.
This year’s NBA Finals were an exhilarating ride, with the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs neck-and-neck at pivotal moments during the five games played. The Spurs led by double digits at some point in every game, yet they could not stave off the Knicks. The Knicks’ appearance in the finals ended a 27-year drought of early endings to their season, and their Game 5 win ended a 53-year title drought.
Albuquerque kicked off Pride Month with a double event on Saturday, June 13, starting with a morning parade in Nob Hill followed by Pride Fest at Civic Plaza, marking a 50-year legacy of celebrating Pride annually in the city. Starting at 10 a.m. and lasting two hours, an intergenerational crowd of around a few thousand people gathered along Central Avenue between Wellesley Drive and San Mateo Boulevard and cheered on the several parade floats representing local businesses, organizations, schools and community members.
“My dad said in one of our meetings during the spring, ‘if we put out the same effort we put out last year, we’re gonna get a worse result,’” University of New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck said of his father, Head Coach Jason Eck. There isn't a better way to put it, and it couldn’t be more true for the 2026 New Mexico Lobos. They’ll need a different type of effort, one much greater than last year’s 9-win season — ending in a bowl game — type of effort. They’re aware of the year 1964, which sits embedded at the top of University Stadium; A year representing greatness, but also a reminder of the 61 straight seasons the UNM football program fell short of their goal: winning a conference championship.
Steven Spielberg is one of the most prolific Hollywood directors of all time. It has been almost 50 years since he made his first movie about life on other planets when he released “Close Encounters of the Third Kind." "Disclosure Day" marks his fifth such film, and, much like the best of his previous extraterrestrial features, it is a formally well-made film that uses an otherworldly concept to tell a touching and very human story. Steven Spielberg’s long-tenured success as a filmmaker can, in large part, be attributed to the consistent mastery of his craft. The film marks the 21st collaboration between Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, and much like many of their previous collaborations, "Disclosure Day" is visually striking.
Approximately 400 Albuquerque community members gathered at Montgomery Park on Friday evening to watch the United States and Paraguayan men’s national soccer teams battle in their World Cup opener in Los Angeles. The game was projected on a large viewing screen with a quality sound system, and the park offered space for pick-up games and soccer activities during commercial breaks. The event was the second of multiple watch parties that are scheduled at local parks throughout the month of June, which are a collaboration between the City of Albuquerque and New Mexico United, according to a press release.
After a dominant performance against Phoenix Rising, New Mexico United was back at home vs Orange County SC on Juneteenth. After jumping out to a quick lead, New Mexico was unable to capitalize on other scoring opportunities as they would draw even in the end. However, with the draw, Orange County still has not defeated United since 2019. United struck first with an early goal in the 2nd minute from defender Kipp Keller, who would continue to be the motor for both the offense and the defense with 6 defensive contributions.
The Lobos’ 2027 recruiting class is starting to take shape as the Albuquerque summer heat continues to melt away at the Lobo faithful — waiting patiently for fall camp to begin. At the time of publication, the Lobos have eight total commits, five on defense and three on offense, including four newcomers who verbally committed last week.
“I’ve been reading up on the 00’s, and I think the programme deserves a reboot.” This is what iconic Bond regular Ms. Moneypenny, reimagined in “007 First Light” as the “girl in the chair,” tells James Bond before he’s shipped off for training in Malta to become the hero fans know and love. It’s also the apparent mission statement of developer IO Interactive as they were tasked with both telling the first original Bond story since fans said goodbye to the Daniel Craig era in 2021 with “No Time To Die,” and developing the first 007 video game since “007 Legends” in 2012.
On Friday, June 5, protesters and relatives of Jose Armas and Robert Salas — who were both fatally shot by Albuquerque Police Department officers the week prior — gathered and marched from Robinson Park to APD’s headquarters. Protesters called for “justice” for Salas and Armas, along with others who have been killed by APD officers in recent years. The march concluded with a vigil on the staircase of the APD headquarters, during which family members spoke to participants, calling for the release of all body camera footage and for police to handle mental health crises differently.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will be soon making its return to New Mexico this year for their Summer Tour. The number-one wrestling promotion will once again test their limits to deliver suplexes, clotheslines, and body slams under the bright lights, along with big- name wrestlers and characters filled with charisma. The company announced 10 dates for its summer full of events, with their first two stops being in Las Cruces at the Pan American Center on Saturday, July 11 and in Albuquerque at the Pit on Sunday, July 12.
The Lobos’ football team has taken the field for 94 years, and not once have they entered a season as the betting-odd favorites to win the conference, until now. After hiring Head Coach Jason Eck, who led the team to just their sixth season with nine or more wins in program history and a trip to the Rate Bowl – their first bowl appearance since 2016 – the Lobos became one of the nation's top stories in all of college football.
Following a scoreless draw on the road versus the Hartford Athletic, New Mexico United returned home for some Prinx Tires USL Cup action versus Phoenix Rising. New Mexico dismantled Phoenix 4-0 after a huge second-half performance. New Mexico applied pressure throughout the first half, but gained more shots on goal in the closing minutes. In the extra time before the whistle blew at half, United forward Niall Reid-Stephen scored off of a perfect assist from defender Christopher Gloster.
Where there’s a victor, there’s a loser, and sometimes, certain athletes contribute to their team’s shortcomings. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren Early in the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked to be in prime position to repeat as champions. They had the best record in the NBA and came into the Western Conference Finals 8-0 in the postseason, sweeping both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. However, throughout the regular season, one team seemed to have their number, and that happened to be the team they would have to face with a trip to the NBA finals up for grabs.
On Tuesday, June 2, voters in New Mexico decided who would be the nominees for U.S. Senate, governor and lieutenant governor, among other local races during the state’s primary election day. Here are the election results of the 2026 New Mexico primary elections, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
The 2024-2025 Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent will make his return to the Land of Enchantment this summer to play for The Enchantment. Dent may not be rocking cherry and silver, but he will represent the state of New Mexico as team captain alongside former alumni.
Running back Hershul Olloway Jr. of St. Pius X High School verbally committed to the University of New Mexico on May 22 via an announcement on X. Now New Mexico’s newest pair of hands in the backfield, Olloway Jr. rushed for 1,930 yards and 28 touchdowns in his junior season, and his speed also led him to a pair of victories in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash finals at the 2026 NMAA State Track & Field Championships last month.
James Laubstein, the 6-foot-3, 211-pound freight train at quarterback, is back for the Lobos this upcoming season. The Bethany, Connecticut, native will return for his sixth season of college football after winning an appeal to the NCAA for a waiver granting him another year of eligibility.
Solutions by The State News
