text: School colors In the early years of the university, the school colors were black and gold. Tradition holds that in the 1890s, a faculty member suggested the school adopt colors more representative of New Mexico. Crimson and silver were initially suggested based on, respectively, the crimson evening glow of the Sandia Mountains and the description of the Rio Grande as a "silver ribbon winding through the valley" as seen by students and professors taking picnics in the Sandias. Crimson was later changed to the cherry color which is the color of the Sandia sunset. Cherry and Silver became the official colors in 1897. The school also used turquoise as an official color from 1973 to 1979.
  The fight song
  In 1930, the UNM fight song was created. Dean Lena Clauve, a music education professor, wrote the music. Dr. George St. Clair, an English professor, wrote the lyrics.
  Mascot
  The University mascots are anthropomorphized wolves or "Lobos" named Louie and Lucy, they appear at every sporting and social event. Lobo Louie was created in the early 1960s and Lobo Lucy was created in the early 1980s.
  For a brief period in the 1920s, a live wolf pup appeared at every football game.  Jim Young, a government trapper, caught a wolf in the western part of the state.  A child teased the wolf at a game and was bitten, which forced officials of the school to get rid of the wolf.
  Sports sponsored
  The University of New Mexico sponsors teams in 7 men's and 9 women's NCAA sanctioned sports, competing in the Mountain West Conference.
  Baseball
  The baseball team's head coach is Tod Brown, the pitching coach is Michael Lopez and the assistant coach/recruiting coach is Nate Causey.
  The Lobo baseball program began in 1899.