Many people in the workforce have taken up second jobs to weather the current economic climate. University of New Mexico athletic equipment operations manager Jacque May's moonlighting job, however, came by accident.

She and longtime Lobo football manager Rudy Garcia are responsible for the design of the team's new jerseys, which it unveiled at a press conference Friday.

The Lobo uniforms display "New Mexico" on the front of the jersey, which have old-school striping on the sleeves and down the pant legs.

The team plans to wear silver pants with the home cherry jerseys this season, and cherry pants with the road whites - a departure from its all-cherry look at home and all-white look on the road under former coach Rocky Long.

UNM, in the second year of a six-year contract with Nike, wanted to alter its football attire after last season.

A minor problem arose, however, as Long abruptly resigned.

"It was a very interesting process," May says. UNM "had decided to redesign the uniforms last season, but when we started looking at new uniforms, we didn't have a coach, and we had deadlines to meet with Nike."

UNM had to submit its order before new coach Mike Locksley could have any kind of say when he was hired on Dec. 9.

"By the time coach Locksley was here, we basically said, 'Here's the new uniforms; I hope you like them,'" May said with a laugh.

Locksley says he's on board with the new style.

"It's a clean look," he says. "Fashion goes in cycles, and a traditional look is more in fashion now, and that's what these uniforms are. It coincides with a new era of Lobo football."

May says she worked with a Nike representative, whom she called a "uniform-builder," online. She says she wasn't thrilled with any of the styles that she saw online.

"Rudy and I started looking back at some of the old Lobo designs," she says. "Then, we were both watching the Army-Navy game. Both teams had on Nike uniforms, and Navy had stripes on theirs. We both kind of liked that, and that's what gave us the idea to put stripes."

UNM's silver helmet, with the Lobo head logo, will remain the same.

All the text and numbering now is uniform with the athletic department's official Lobo font that originated with the men's basketball team when coach Steve Alford arrived.

The school's new release notes that the uniforms feature "the latest Nike fabric and materials, giving players a lighter and more breathable game-day jersey."

Asked what that meant, May explained all cotton has been removed from the jersey and that material on the side of the jerseys under the sleeves are lighter.

"The side inserts are different; the old jerseys got a lot heavier when the players sweat," she said.

Another consideration for the unis was to ensure that if UNM wanted to wear all cherry or all white, they would still look good.

Locksley said the having the Nike brand alone would help in recruiting.

"Anything that you can get that the players like wearing helps," he says, "so the best part is having the Swoosh behind us. Anything you can do to take care of the athletes, those things, you can sell."

May says she panicked when the uniforms arrived.

"When I saw them, I said, 'Oh, I should've changed this or put that.' But then everyone else said they liked them. Now, I'm pretty happy with them."

And a new fashion design career is born?

Not quite.

"I'm going to stick to my own little corner of the world here," May says. "I don't think I'll be designing anything else anytime soon."