The New Mexico Lobos will have a major national presence this fall, with seven games slated for national television broadcasts, including five Mountain West matchups. The national TV schedule was announced Tuesday by the conference in partnership with CBS and FOX.
The 2025 campaign kicks off under the bright lights as UNM travels to Michigan to open the Jason Eck era. The Lobos and Wolverines will meet on Friday, August 30 at 5:30 p.m. MT (7:30 p.m. ET) in a nationally televised primetime showdown on NBC. UNM’s Week 3 road game at UCLA has also been picked up for national coverage, with the broadcast partner to be confirmed later this month. That game has been rescheduled to Friday, September 12.
In conference play, New Mexico will appear in five national broadcasts—two at University Stadium and three on the road.
At home, the Lobos will host Nevada on October 18 with coverage on a FOX network (FS1 or FS2), and San Diego State on November 28 for Senior Day. That Black Friday matchup is set for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
On the road, UNM opens Mountain West play on Friday, October 4 at San Jose State in a primetime FS1 game (8 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. PT), followed by a trip to Boise State the following week. Broadcast details for the Boise matchup will be announced at a later date. The Lobos’ final road game of the regular season, November 22 at Air Force, will air on CBS Sports Network at 5 p.m..
UNM’s remaining home games—against Idaho State, New Mexico State, Utah State, and Colorado State—will stream on the Mountain West Network, with kickoff times and coverage details to be announced.
With national or streaming coverage for all 12 contests, Lobo fans will be able to follow every snap, wherever they are.
Dennis Franchione Named to College Football Hall of Fame Ballot
Former New Mexico head football coach Dennis Franchione is one of nine FBS coaches up for induction into the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced Tuesday.
Franchione coached the Lobos from 1992–1997, turning around a struggling program and guiding UNM to its first bowl appearance in 36 years. In his final season, the Lobos went 9-4, won the WAC’s Mountain Division, and played in the Insight.com Bowl, falling 20-14 to Arizona.
Under Franchione, the Lobos went 33-36, a significant improvement after the program had gone 9-51 in the five years prior to his arrival. His 1993 season marked the Lobos’ first winning campaign in over a decade.
Before and after his time in Albuquerque, Franchione made his mark across the college football landscape. He was a two-time NAIA National Coach of the Year and compiled a 53-6 record at Pittsburg State. He also led programs at TCU (25-10), Alabama (17-8), and Texas A&M (32-28). He remains known as a master program builder, revitalizing teams and leading them to landmark wins—including Alabama’s first 10-win season in five years and back-to-back victories over rival Texas while at Texas A&M.
Franchione finished with a career college head coaching record of 213-135-2, including a final stop at Texas State, where he coached from 2011–2015.
Voting is currently underway among NFF members and Hall of Famers, with final selections to be announced early next year.
Charisse Williams Joins Lobo Men’s Basketball as Athletic Performance Coach
The Lobo Men’s Basketball program has bolstered its staff with the hiring of Charisse Williams as Athletic Performance Coach, head coach Eric Olen announced Tuesday.
Williams arrives in Albuquerque after three highly successful seasons at UNLV, where she oversaw strength and conditioning for both the women’s basketball and women’s soccer programs. The Lady Rebels won three straight Mountain West regular-season titles and two tournament championships during her tenure, posting a dominant 49-3 conference record.
Before UNLV, Williams worked as an assistant sports performance coach at UC San Diego, where she worked with Olympic sports and contributed to both the men’s and women’s basketball programs.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Williams played college basketball at Lindenwood University, where she started 96 career games and was a two-time captain. She graduated in 2019 with a degree in exercise science and went on to earn a master’s in kinesiology from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2022.
Coach Olen praised the hire, saying, “Her background in basketball and experience with sports science are an ideal fit for our program. She brings a combination of enthusiasm and work ethic that will benefit our players and permeate our organization.”
Williams added, “The University of New Mexico is home to one of the nation’s most tradition-rich basketball programs and I can’t wait to get started. I am excited and grateful to support these athletes, collaborate with this talented staff and contribute to the Lobo legacy.”
Lobos Add Sir Marius Jones to 2025-26 Men’s Basketball Class
The New Mexico men’s basketball team has landed a key addition for the future with the signing of Sir Marius Jones, a 6-foot-4 guard from Sacramento, California.
Jones becomes the third high school recruit in UNM’s 2025-26 freshman class. A dynamic scorer, he was named Third-Team All-State as a senior at Sacramento High School, averaging 20.9 points and 2.7 assists per game. He finished his prep career with over 1,600 points and helped lead his team to the state playoffs as a junior.
Originally committed to UC Irvine, Jones flipped his commitment to New Mexico, citing the program’s belief in his potential. “Faith is everything to me,” Jones said. “The staff proved to have the most faith in me, and I have the most faith in them.”
Head coach Eric Olen called Jones “a playmaker on both sides of the ball,” adding, “His ability to play on and off the ball makes him a great fit for our system. He has a bright future as a Lobo.”
Lobos Shine at West Regionals, Advance 11 to NCAA Outdoor Championships
The New Mexico Lobos Track & Field program wrapped up an impressive weekend at the NCAA West Regionals in College Station, qualifying 11 athletes for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene. It marks the third-highest total in program history and ties the school’s second-best mark set in both 2009 and 2022.
UNM’s standout performances on the final day included program records, a facility record, and a historic relay qualification — all contributing to a strong postseason push under first-year head coach Darren Gauson.
Record-Breaking Performances Highlight Final Day
The Lobos women’s 4x400m relay delivered a history-making performance to close out the weekend. The quartet of Sofia Pineda, Lou-Anne Pouzancre Hoyer, Hanna Kiess, and Rebecca Grieve shattered their own school record with a 3:31.71 finish — 2.20 seconds faster than their previous best — to become the first 4x400m squad in program history to qualify for nationals.
Grieve, who had already competed in the 400m quarterfinals earlier that evening, anchored the relay with a blistering 51.21-second split — the fastest ever by a Lobo in the 4x400m.
Distance Crew Delivers in Bunches
Freshman Pamela Kosgei and Marion Jepngetich finished 1-2 in their 5,000m heat, earning automatic qualifications with times of 15:51.20 and 15:52.44. They’ll be joined by Judy Rono, who ran 4:09.07 in the 1,500m quarterfinal to break a UNM program record and qualify on time.
Sophia McDonnell also advanced in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, clocking 9:57.14 for the seventh-fastest overall time — her second consecutive sub-10-minute race despite grueling heat and humidity in Texas.
On the men’s side, Mathew Kosgei dominated his steeplechase heat, cruising to an 8:25.41 facility record and the fastest qualifying time. He heads to Eugene with the No. 2 time nationally (8:22.13) in the event.
Kosgei will be joined by teammates Ishmael Kipkurui and Habtom Samuel, who both doubled up with qualifications in the 5,000m and 10,000m. Kipkurui finished fifth in the 5,000m (13:28.25), while Samuel came through with a 13:32.41 effort in his second event of the weekend.
Notable Efforts Just Outside the Cut
UNM had several strong performances that narrowly missed qualifying:
- Rebecca Grieve (52.66) placed 17th in the 400m, missing the NCAA cut by a narrow margin.
- Hanna Kiess ran a 57.70 in the 400 hurdles, setting another school record and finishing 17th overall.
- Cam Watts clocked 10.18 in the 100m to cap an outstanding debut season that included two Mountain West titles.
- Brodie Young (45.94) was just 0.01 seconds off the qualifying mark in the 400m.
- Levente Soos posted back-to-back sub-51s in the 400 hurdles, finishing 15th overall.
In the men’s 5,000m, Collins Kiprotich (13:41.38) and Vincent Chirchir (13:42.80) were among the top 20 finishers but fell just short of a national bid.
NCAA Championship-Bound Lobos
Here are the 11 Lobos who will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships:
- Pamela Kosgei – 5,000m, 10,000m
- Marion Jepngetich – 5,000m
- Judy Rono – 1,500m
- Sophia McDonnell – 3,000m Steeplechase
- Mathew Kosgei – 3,000m Steeplechase
- Ishmael Kipkurui – 5,000m, 10,000m
- Habtom Samuel – 5,000m, 10,000m
- 4x400m Relay Team – Pineda, Grieve, Kiess, Pouzancre Hoyer
This group now shifts its focus to Eugene, Oregon, where the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin June 5 at Hayward Field.