NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – With the game between the University of New Mexico Lobos and the New Mexico State University Aggies approaching on Saturday, September 16, fans are gearing up for more of the Rio Grande Rivalry. However, after a recent ticket debate stirred the pot, there seems to be some discord between the rival universities.
On Tuesday, September 12, NMSU News22 published a report that UNM athletics was asking NMSU’s Pride band to pay $20 for each member to attend Saturday’s Albuquerque game. On Wednesday, the vice president and director of athletics at UNM, Eddie Nuñez, released the following statement:
“The game contract calls for 450 complementary tickets for the visiting tea;. Those tickets may be used however the visiting team sees fit, and each athletic department always has an option to purchase tickets above and beyond the complimentary allotment for their respective students and fan base. When this occurs, common practice, and a practice we follow at UNM, is to purchase those tickets for our students.”
Eddie Nuñez
According to KTSM-9 in El Paso, as of Thursday, 15 to 20 donors have stepped up to pay for NMSU’s band tickets to the game. NMSU’s athletic director, Mario Moccia, says the travel and hotel expenses have already been built into the band’s budget for the game.
