At the University of New Mexico, there isn’t much tradition surrounding the football program. There are no National Championship banners. No Heisman Trophy winners. The program has seen four conference championships with those coming in 1938, 1962, 1963 and 1964. There have been just 13 bowl appearances for UNM, with just four of those ending in wins. Which is why when there are winning seasons in Albuquerque, they are usually special to fans. One season, 1997, stands out as one of the more magical years that Lobo football has ever seen.
Prior to the hiring of Dennis Franchione at the end of 1991, the Lobos had dropped to the lowest of lows in their program history.