New Mexico Lobo football earns first AP Top 25 poll ranking in team history

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico Lobo football earned its first AP Top 25 poll ranking for the first time in team history, ranking 22nd in the national poll.

The Lobos earned 179 points to jump from just outside of poll contention — effectively in 27th last week — to an official, 22nd-place ranking in the new poll released Sunday. South Carolina, Arizona and Florida round out the Top 25.

The Lobo football team has never been officially ranked in the AP Top 25 poll before. No other Mountain West Conference team made the top 25 or even received votes toward the poll.

The Lobos earned the national ranking after beating San Jose State in football for the first time since 1969. They rank first in the conference with an undefeated 4-0 conference record and an overall record of 7-1. Their only loss was a 14-6, defense-heavy game where they fell to the then-No. 24-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners are now 4-4 on the season while the Lobos are 7-1 and in the national ranking.

This isn’t the first time a Lobo team has been recognized with an AP Top 25 ranking. The Lobo men’s basketball team ranked as high as 19th during the 2023-24 season.

The Lobo football team has also been projected as a favorite to make the College Football Playoff.

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