UNM FOOTBALL
New Mexico to play at Texas Tech in 2027
Revival of classic Border Conference series replaces since-cancelled game at Texas A&M
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For the first time in nearly 15 years, the Lobos are Lubbock-bound.
New Mexico has inked a deal to play at Texas Tech in 2027, the school announced Tuesday morning.
Scheduled for Sept. 18, 2027, the game marks the first between the schools since 2012. It replaces UNM鈥檚 previously scheduled game at Texas A&M, one that the Aggies moved to cancel after the SEC announced plans to institute starting this year.
Texas Tech will pay UNM $1.2 million for the game, per a contract provided to the Journal. The document was signed on April 22 by Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt; UNM athletic director Ryan Berryman and Texas Tech President Dr. Lawrence Schovanec and Berryman signed on May 1.
UNM is also set to receive 500 complimentary tickets and 鈥渘o more than鈥� 750 tickets to sell to its fans for seats at Jones AT&T Stadium, per the contract.
After the two schools signed a deal in 2020, Berryman said Texas A&M reached out to cancel its game against UNM in early February. Already facing nine league games and a nonconference slate featuring Texas State and Arizona State, the Aggies will likely replace UNM with an FCS team to fill out its 2027 schedule.
In April, North Carolina State canceled its Sept. 18, 2027 game at Texas Tech due to a 鈥渃hange in ACC scheduling,鈥� according to a release from the latter school. In turn, Texas Tech canceled a Sept. 11, 2027 game at North Texas to ensure it had six home games that year; with the agreement, UNM is now the sixth home game on the Red Raiders鈥� schedule.
鈥淭here was a window that popped up for both of us that made sense, and I think we both agreed that it was a great regional matchup that could excite both of our fanbases,鈥� Berryman said in a press conference Tuesday.
UNM was guaranteed $1.7 million for playing Texas A&M. Signed in 2020, the contract between the schools stipulated that $1 million would serve as 鈥渞easonable compensation鈥� if there was a breach of contract between the two parties.
Despite the breach, Berryman said UNM is not planning on pursuing legal action against Texas A&M. The contract also stipulates that if the game becomes 鈥渋mpossible or impracticable鈥� due to changes to either program鈥檚 鈥渞espective athletic conference or governing body's governing constitutions, bylaws, rules or regulations,鈥� it could be canceled without penalty.
In September, the SEC announced it was requiring league teams to schedule one 鈥渉igh quality鈥� program from one of the other power leagues 鈥� the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC 鈥� or Notre Dame. With Arizona State on the schedule in 2027, Texas A&M is already in compliance with that rule.
A former rivalry in the long-defunct Border Conference, Texas Tech leads the all-time series against the Lobos 37-6-2. UNM last beat the Red Raiders on Sept. 11, 2004, a game largely remembered for Wes Zunker鈥檚 game-winning 43-yard field goal as time expired.
Texas Tech compiled a 12-2 record and won the Big 12 last season under fourth-year head coach Joey McGuire. The Red Raiders also qualified for the College Football Playoff, falling 23-0 to Oregon in a quarterfinal matchup.
Led by first-year head coach Jason Eck, the Lobos finished 9-4 and tied for first place in the Mountain West last year. UNM is largely expected to be picked at or near the top of the league heading into next season.
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .
