New Mexico State Aggies announce 2013 football schedule

By Kevin Kelley -

The New Mexico State Aggies have announced their 2013 football schedule, which features games against Boston College, Minnesota, San Diego State, Texas, and UCLA.

New Mexico State will be playing their first season as an FBS Independent after the WAC discontinued football. They had been a member of the WAC since 2005. Prior to that, they were part of the Big West Conference from 1983-2000 and the Sun Belt Conference from 2001-2004.

The Aggies open the 2013 season on the road at the Texas Longhorns on Aug. 31. NMSU then hosts back-to-back home games against Minnesota on Sept. 7 and UTEP on Sept. 14.

A trip to Los Angeles to face UCLA looms on Sept. 21, followed by a home game against San Diego State on Sept. 28 and then a trip to face in-state rival New Mexico on Oct. 5.

After their first open date, the Aggies host Rice on Oct. 19 followed by Abilene Christian on Oct. 26. Abilene is moving up to FCS from Division II, but will not be counted as an FCS program for scheduling purposes until the 2014 season.

On Nov. 2, the Aggies travel to face the UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. New Mexico State was originally slated to play at Idaho on Nov. 2, but the game was scrapped when the Sun Belt was reduced to eight teams and needed non-conference games.

Boston College visits Las Cruces on Nov. 9 in what will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. After their second open date on Nov. 16, the Aggies head East to Boca Raton to take on the Florida Atlantic Owls on Nov. 23.

New Mexico State closes out the 2013 regular-season on Nov. 30 at home against the Idaho Vandals. Idaho will also be playing their first season as an FBS Independent.

2013 New Mexico State Football Schedule

  • 08/31 – at Texas
  • 09/07 – Minnesota
  • 09/14 – UTEP
  • 09/21 – at UCLA
  • 09/28 – San Diego State
  • 10/05 – at New Mexico
  • 10/12 – Open Date
  • 10/19 – Rice
  • 10/26 – Abilene Christian
  • 11/02 – at UL Lafayette
  • 11/09 – Boston College
  • 11/16 – Open Date
  • 11/23 – at Florida Atlantic
  • 11/30 – Idaho

Comments (24)

Wow. I did not think NMSU was in a position of power. Good for them getting a 1 for none with Boston College.

Are you sure there’s no return game to Chestnut Hill? Very strange for the Eagles to make two trips to the west coast (USC and NMSU) in the same season.

NMSU will be in the SUNBELT next year and this is a great schedule for any midmajor let alone NMSU. While I will call it ambitious, but with the new HC Martin it is what the doctor ordered.
I am suprised BC comes out west twice in one year also. The fact that Martin coached at BC last year makes that game interesting for NMSU even more.

Holy crow,this is a VERY good schedule! Now if the fans realize how important it is to actually show up and support the Aggies…this could be a showcase season to show CUSA/Mountain West/Sun Belt that they can draw enough to be attractive. Other then Texas and UCLA,New Mexico State should and could be in every game.

Yes, I can’t figure out why the Aggies have such poor support. The fans do need to start showing up, otherwise, this is a program that could disappear off the map without conference affiliation.

Oh, and what is more amazing is that they were able to get 7 home games. That is incredible given how moribund their program is.

NMSU has 7 home/5 away, while Idaho has 5 home/7 away. I wonder if the Idaho-NMSU game will flip locations, seeing as they could’ve just as easily dropped the game between them that is still on as opposed to the one that was dropped. That way each team would have 6 home games.

Thats a pretty ambitious schedule for a program thats coming off of such a rough year. I’d hope to see the Aggies finish close to 5-7 in order to prove that indepenence is really the best place for them. Otherwise perhaps the Southland Conference may be thier best option. At least that way they’d be able to recruit from Texas and Arkansas. If they have another bad season then they’re stuck collecting paychecks to get pounded by the rest of the FBS which is unfair to the players and fans.

They were able to support the Sun Belt with November 2 games once the SB got shafted by two former members.

It’s now just a single game at NMSU on 11/30/13. Not sure when or if they will play at Idaho in the future. Both schools declined to provide any info.

So, is it just down to Syracuse and Western Kentucky to each schedule a FCS opponent then and 2013 will be finished?

Yes, other than conference schedules for ACC, Big East, MAC, MWC, and Sun Belt. Of course there could always be a minor schedule change at any time.

Since NMSU plays a D-II, they need 7 wins to make a bowl. Which clearly isn’t going to happen…

Evan, I believe you are thinking of FCS (D-I AA) schools. Abilene will still be classified as a Division II school in 2013 for scheduling purposes. Therefore, if NMSU wins, it won’t count towards bowl eligibility.

Abilene Christian is moving up to Div I-AA status this year and technically will not be a Div II school. Nevertheless, everything else applies.

Syracuse seems to have taken over from Cal as having the AD that needs to be woken up the most times to schedule some games.