The New Mexico State Aggies’ first football game of the 2018 season will be aired on ESPN2 on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. Mountain Time for all the nation to view.  

They will face the University of Wyoming Cowboys at Aggie Memorial Stadium.  

Many students are eager to return to Aggie Memorial Stadium and kick off the season with such a high-profile game. 

The 2017 season finished with a win over South Alabama where the Aggies became bowl eligible and then with an overtime win in the 2017 Arizona Bowl Game which ended a 57-year bowl drought. The student section was roaring with cheer and the field was rushed by prideful students at the end of both games. 

NMSU students are ready to experience once again what they’ve come to know and love.  

Jazmyne Silva, a sophomore studying Civil Engineering, is one student who is particularly eager for the upcoming sports season.  

“They’re [NMSU] a fun team to watch. After seeing them play last year, it showed how great they really are.” Silva said. “I love how the Aggies are finally getting exposure. It was earned.” 

Psychology major Julian Reyna said winning the 2017 Arizona Bowl was a stepping stone for the team and he believes “it’s just upwards from here on out.” 

“[The game being aired on ESPN] is also a big step because it’s usually just on local T.V.—I think it’s awesome,” Reyna said, with excitement. He also said that he’s been a long-time Aggie fan due to his parents bringing him to games as a child. 

Another forever fan, Jacob Aguayo, is thrilled for the season to begin—particularly because he’s a freshman, this will be his first experience being in the student section. Aguayo is also happy that the game will be broadcasted nationwide. 

“[The student section] always seemed really cool. I never considered NMSU a big school even though it’s D1 because we hardly get real recognition in comparison to other universities,’ explains Aguayo.  

Silva, Reyna, and Aguayo all agree that NMSU students should come out for the first of NMSU’s five home games this season. Aguayo claimed attending games at Aggie Memorial is a tradition for Las Cruces. 

“You got to go support the Aggies—in football or whatever. You got to go. It’s a homegrown kind of thing,” said Aguayo. 

Silva, an excited student, advised that “Students should come out to this game so people watching on tv can see how we support the guys when they’re out there on the field,” 

Wyoming also captured a bowl win themselves in 2017 at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. In their regular season, the Cowboys defeated the Utah State Aggies, NMSU’s opponent in the 2017 Arizona Bowl, and the University of New Mexico Lobos—both teams that NMSU defeated last season. 

With this being said, NMSU students and viewers across the nation can expect to kick off this year’s college football season with some anticipated hype this Saturday night.