Blog From The Executive Director

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JEFF SIEMBIEDA'S BLOG

Thursday, Oct. 4 - It can’t really October, can it?  Wow, this season is flying!  I’ve seen all the projections for the teams who are going to play in the Gildan New Mexico bowl….very interesting.  While I don’t think I’m an old veteran or anything, I have been doing this long enough to know, there’s a whole lot of football still to play and we have not yet bought specific colored paint for the end zones yet.  That said, there are a lot of big games that mean a whole lot this weekend.  On the Pac-12 side I’m really interested in the Arizona-Stanford game, to see how the Cardinal bounce back from their first loss.  I think the atmosphere will be electric in Salt Lake City as the Trojans come to town and I have always loved the renewal of the rivalries in the Great Northwest, Oregon State and Washington State and especially, Washington and Oregon.   In the Mountain West there’s a big one in Laramie as the Cowboys try to slow down Air Force, Fresno State looks to stay unbeaten in their first year in the league, and San Diego State has a huge game at home against Hawai’i.  It’s a long road trip for  Boise State at Southern Miss., and how about those surprising Lobos?  New Mexico looks for their third win of the season when they host Texas State; a win would equal their victory total from the past three years combined.  Enjoy the games!

Friday, Sept. 21 - While it still seems so early in the college football season, it really isn’t.  Conference play is underway this weekend and there are some really interesting games, especially in the Pac-12.  One of the most anticipated matchups in the country this week is in Eugene, where two ranked teams, Arizona and Oregon open the conference slate.  But all five Pac-12 games should be great;  Utah-Arizona St. and Oregon St./UCLA really jump off the page.  In the Mountain West, Nevada and Hawai’I will both play their first conference games as members of their new league, and they will play their opener against each other.  Long time rivals kickoff late night on the Islands in a huge opener for both. Air Force is back in action after their week off, opening their conference slate at UNLV.   Boise State held on for a huge win on national television over BYU, and they did it with their defense.  The big rivalry game in the Land of Enchantment should be very entertaining, as Bob Davie looks for his second win as the Lobo head coach as UNM travels to New Mexico State.  And I’m really looking forward to seeing the Aztecs hosting San Jose State, Colorado State looking to bounce back against a good Utah State team, and Wyoming looking for their first win of the season in Moscow.  It should be another great weekend. Enjoy!

Thursday, Sept. 6 - I got a call today from one of our board members who asked me “Well, what’s it look like?  Who do you think we’re gonna get?”   I love the passion, and don’t think we don’t sit around here every Monday and think the same exact thing. But still, I got a kick out of it.  I have no idea, but I do know we are off to an interesting start.  Huge wins this weekend by (in no particular order) Colorado State, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, UCLA and Nevada.  USC looked great;  so did Oregon, Utah, Arizona State and Air Force.   Lots of encouraging signs, even from the teams who didn’t win during the first weekend.  And I think we’ve got some really nice matchups and opportunities this week.  It’s the time of year where we get these great intra-conference matchups and they are fun.  Fresno State and Oregon could be really good.  Air Force has a great chance to shine on the road in Ann Arbor.  The Washington Huskies can make a huge statement in Baton Rouge….New Mexico at Texas, South Florida at Nevada, Wisconsin at Oregon St., Arizona and Oklahoma State, UCLA-Nebraska.  It looks like another weekend on the couch for me....and probably you.  I don’t have an answer for that board member yet, and I won’t have any answer for him next week either, but I sure will enjoy watching this weekend’s games.

Thursday, Aug. 30 - Well, well, well.  Lookee here.  There’s football tonight.  And not a moment too soon.  Welcome to football season, or should I say, Welcome Football Season!  I’m certain it is like a holiday for all of us this time of year.  And what great matchups to look forward to this holiday weekend.  Of course, all of us at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl will watch as much football as we can, but we are always paying special attention to the teams from the Pac-12 and Mountain West.  And in this first week, there are four Pac-12/MWC matchups.  Hawai’I is at USC, Nevada at Cal, San Diego St. at Washington and the big rivalry game between Colorado and Colorado St.  I will start watching on Thursday with UNLV hosting Minnesota,  Washington State playing at BYU in Mike Leech’s debut as head coach and Jim Mora’s first run on the sidelines with UCLA against Rice.  And of course the whole country will be watching Friday night when Boise State visits Michigan State.  And lest not forget Wyoming going down to Austin to tangle with the ‘Horns.  We are also watching with a lot of interest the head coaching debuts at Fresno St., New Mexico, Arizona, and Arizona State (along with Hawai’I, Colorado State).  Great matchups to kickoff what should be a great season.  Enjoy the games.  I know I will.