In the long history of college football, the New Mexico Aggies are one program that often gets unfairly overlooked. The Aggies played their first season in 1893, nearly two decades before New Mexico even became a state. Granted, it’s not the most successful program, which is why it can be easy to find cheap New Mexico State football tickets. But there is still a lot of history and pride from the Aggies being the pride of New Mexico on the gridiron, which explains why there always seems to be a high demand for last-minute New Mexico State football tickets.

Long History, Long Rivalries

While New Mexico State’s football success has been sporadic, the Aggies have always had bitter rivalries that have helped fuel interest in the program. Naturally, the Rio Grande Rivalry with the New Mexico Lobos is the most important rivalry in program history. The in-state foes have met over 100 times dating back to 1894 when they met for the first time. The Aggies also have a bitter rivalry with the UTEP Miners, as the two schools are separated by less than 50 miles and have played one another in almost every year since the first-ever meeting between the two programs in 1914.

Finding a Home

Much of New Mexico State’s football history has been spent looking for a proper home. The Aggies have had several stints as an independent program, albeit with varying levels of success. New Mexico State football has also spent time in the Border Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, and the Big West. Also, since the turn of the century, the Aggies have bounced around from the Sun Belt to the WAC and back to the Sun Belt. The Aggies finally joined Conference USA head of the 2023 football season with the hope that New Mexico State can finally find a home where its historic football program can finally flourish.