Parking pains? UNM offering new options as 35K expected at Saturday's rivalry game

Louis Trujillo knows football games.

For two decades, he and his familiar, large, red sombrero have been to too many Lobo football games — home and road — to count.

Heck, he even put more than 4,500 miles on his car in the past month to watch his Lobos in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Pasadena, California — places where he paid $80 and $38, respectively, for parking.

And if there's one thing he's learned, the whole game can be soured before you ever step foot in the stadium by poor event planning or communication.

"Parking is such a huge thing," Trujillo said. "In my opinion, it can make or break an experience for the newcomer to Lobos football."

He might as well have been speaking for Fernando Lovo, the first-year UNM Athletic Director who knows well that parking issues were the number one topic in the more than 550 survey responses he received after UNM's Sept. 6 home game against Idaho State.

Saturday's Rio Grande Rivalry game between the New Mexico State Aggies and UNM Lobos is expected to be more than double what it was three weeks ago when long lines outside of full parking lots — and some new rules — soured the experience for some.

Lovo recognizes it was a problem; one he's trying to address ahead of roughly 35,000 fans showing up Saturday at University Stadium.

"What I heard the most when I've talked to people, is that when the lots sell out, they don't know where else to go, and they get frustrated because they've been sitting (in line) and then they get told the lot is closed and it's like, 'well, where do I go?'" Lovo said. "And so I just wanted to be clear about what our other options are, and tell as many people ahead of time about the new options there will be this week and where all the lots are."

UNM on Wednesday launched a web page with numerous parking maps on its athletics website just to explain all parking options for Saturday's game. The options include a free park-and-ride service from Lomas and University, where fans can park for free (the lot will have people working there throughout the game). Additionally, some CNM lots north of Isotopes Park will be open for this game. The website also includes information about rideshare drop off locations and updates on guidelines such as handicap parking spots (which will cost $15 like regular spots, not something that has happened in the past).

"We also are going to need (fans) help with getting there early," Lovo said. "... I expect Stadium East (lot) to fill up by 11 o'clock. And if it does fill up by 11 o'clock, our fans will know that and they can make plans of where else they are going to go to park.

"I mean, parking is everything. ... It's your first impression of where you show up. And like I said before, we're going to work like heck to make it a great experience."

Lovo noted that APD has provided 15 additional officers for traffic management for Saturday.

As for Trujillo, who said he plans to smoke a pork butt and grill peppers and onions for his tailgate, parking shouldn't be a problem on Saturday.

Of course, he'll also be starting at dawn.

"Tailgate starts at 6am! See everyone on Saturday," Trujillo posted on his X account on Wednesday. "... come join us."