UNM Bookstores announces new Game Day Fridays season, a Lobo tradition since 2003

The University of New Mexico Bookstores is kicking off another year of Game Day Fridays, a long-standing tradition that has united the Lobo community and helped to build school spirit for more than 20 years.

The weekly promotion has been part of campus life since the early 2000s, giving students, alumni, faculty, staff, and Lobo fans the chance to show their pride with 25% off select merchandise during football and basketball seasons. What began as a discount on Lobowear has since grown to include gifts, professional apparel and a wide range of spirit products.

"Game Day Fridays have been a tradition at the UNM Bookstores for more than 20 years, and it's one of our favorite ways to bring the campus together," said Lisa Walden, director of the UNM Bookstores. "Every week, this promotion gives students, faculty, staff and fans a chance to show their Lobo Spirit and support our teams and our university."

As soon as it started in 2003, the sale became a favorite among Lobos. By October 2004, an ad placed in BookPage was already using the phrase 'The Tradition Continues,' showing how quickly Game Day Fridays caught on. A Daily Lobo ad published July 28-Aug. 14, 2005, promoted the UNM Bookstores as the 'Home of Game Day Fridays,' reinforcing its place as a staple of campus life.

"Game Day Fridays is something our UNM community waits for all year," said Aimee Lowery, operations manager at the UNM Bookstores. "That first Friday feels like a party and is the true kickoff to the semester."

In its earliest years, the promotion was held only before football games. Today, it has expanded to every Friday during both the football and basketball seasons, making it a standing tradition on campus. And while it began as a way to get ready for game day, Game Day Fridays now reach far beyond stadium outfits, highlighting that being a Lobo is part of everyday life.

The 2025-2026 edition of Game Day Fridays will begin Aug. 29 and run every Friday throughout the football and basketball seasons at the Central Campus Bookstore, the Medical/Legal Bookstore, and online at bookstore.unm.edu.