Lobo (New Mexico mascot)

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UNM Lobos logo

The Lobo is the official mascot of the University of New Mexico. Lobo, the Spanish word for "wolf," was suggested by George S. Bryan, a sophomore at UNM, in 1920.

"The Lobo is respected for his cunning, feared for his prowess, and is the leader of the pack," read Bryan's editorial in the Oct. 1, 1920 issue of the UNM student newspaper. "... All together now; 15 rahs for the LOBOS."

The Lobo became the official mascot of the school. For a brief period in the 1920's, a live wolf pup appeared at every football game, but UNM administrators were forced to cease the practice when a child teased the wolf and was subsequently bitten.

The Daily Lobo is the name of UNM's daily campus newspaper.

Human mascots, dubbed "Lobo Louie" and "Lobo Lucy," currently rouse crowds at New Mexico athletic events. During Fran Fraschilla's short coaching tenure at UNM there was a small "Baby Lobo" mascot who appeared at men's basketball games but the Baby Lobo, in reality Fraschilla's son, left when Fraschilla quit the program. The Lobo was present at every Lobo home game, even those that started at 10 p.m. on a school night.

For some years in the 1980s, a popular chant among Lobo fans was, "Everyone's a Lobo, Woof Woof Woof!" Coach Dave Bliss phased out the cheer shortly after his arrival in the early 1990s. In recent years, however, the cheer has slowly started to resurface, and the UNM student section have begun using the chant more and more at Lobo sporting events.