College football is unique for several reasons, chief among them the pageantry and pride shown for programs by alumni and fans alike. No amount of pageantry would be complete without the role of mascots.
There are over 134 different teams in FBS, with as many varied and different backgrounds as there are teams. Uniquely, the University of New Mexico is the only school represented by the Lobos. How did the New Mexico Lobos mascot come to be, and in what ways does the history help tell the story that the moniker now represents?
Who (or What) is the New Mexico Lobos Mascot?
Representing the state as the second oldest university and the flagship institution, the University of New Mexico was established in 1889 and has since been known as such while also remaining in Albuquerque.
The school operated without a known mascot until 1920, at which point the name “Lobo” was adopted upon the suggestion of George S. Bryan, a student at UNM and the editor of the school newspaper. He proposed Lobo, the Spanish word for wolf, and the suggestion was embraced fully by both the student body and faculty.
The Lobo as a mascot works well as wolves were common in the wilder areas of the state. The school embraced the concepts of embodying strength, teamwork, and a fierce fighting spirit as part of the Lobo branding to the point of using a live mascot to represent the teams during the competition.
Legend has it that a successful Albuquerque insurance and real estate agent by the name of Bruno Dieckmann acquired a Lobo pup at his own expense to be a live mascot. A trapper named Jom Young caught the pup near Mount Taylor, and the cub then became the responsibility of the cheerleaders and was often seen being led around campus on a leash.
At some point in the late 20s, the wolf was teased by a child and responded by biting it. Officials were forced to remove the wolf and a live mascot had not been a part of athletics until a return in the 2010s.
As part of a group called the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, a live wolf ambassador named Zoerro was added to help spread awareness to the public about wolves, wolf dogs and how they play a part in the ecosystem. Animals that are un-releasable captive-bred wolves are provided a permanent, safe home for life as part of the initiative.
Why is New Mexico the Lobos?
As part of the emerging need for branding in the landscape of college athletics, the Lobo eventually debuted as a costumed mascot in the 1960s. The costume has grown from being a cartoonish representation over the years into a more realistic version.
The mascot was given a name at a point in the 1908s. Louie the Lobo has been the primary mascot through hundreds of events and was redesigned as recently as 2004. The university introduced Lucy the Lobo, his female counterpart in 2012 as a way to promote diversity and inclusion. Both mascots appear at various athletic and community events.
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