Safety a top priority as Lobos face Aggies this Saturday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Safety and security will be top of mind when the Lobos and the Aggies face off this weekend on the football field.

It’s the first big match-up between the two teams since the fatal shooting on UNM campus late last year that left a UNM student dead and an NMSU basketball player injured.

The shooting was allegedly an act of revenge for a brawl between fans at the most recent Lobo-Aggie football game.

“We plan every event like it’s a big event here,” said Eddie Nuñez, UNM Athletics director. “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Nuñez says about 30,000 tickets have already been sold, so there will be plenty of Lobo fans and Aggie fans at the stadium.

“We take a lot of pride in doing the whole game atmosphere, the whole game experience to the best of our ability,” Nuñez said. “Safety and security is always a top part of that.”

Nuñez says the two schools had numerous conversations leading up to this. There will be more officers than usual working the parking lots, entrance gates, and inside the stadium.

Metal detectors will also be in place for the second time this season.

Nuñez says the size of the crowd is a big reason for more security measures.

“We got two very passionate fan bases that love their teams,” Nuñez said. “They love cheering on the Lobos and Aggies. For us, it’s always been about making sure that we can not just have another football game, another basketball game, another soccer game – it’s about having an event that we’re all proud of at the end of the day.”

The Lobos are coming off a 56-10 victory over Tennessee Tech. In that game, quarterback Dylan Hopkins threw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns. He was the Mountain West Player of the Week.

Hopkins will face an Aggies team that’s coming in with a 1-1 record and a big win themselves, after New Mexico State dominated Western Illinois 58-21.