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| A replica of Big Blue awaits its hanging from the Pan Am rafters before the NM State's Jan. 12 game against Utah State. Photo from: NM State Facebook page |
Hanging a replica of the opposing team’s mascot from the Pan American Center rafters was once a proud tradition at New Mexico State men’s basketball games.
The unique pregame ritual added to the Pan Am’s reputation as one of the most difficult venues for opposing teams to win in. Mascot hanging was started in the early 1990’s by a dedicated group of NMSU students.
“The idea was started by a group of engineering students that were very loyal to our Aggies,” said NMSU Senior Associate Athletics Director Herb Taylor. “The group made each mascot and this went on for three or four years until they graduated. “
The Pan Am pregame mascot hanging reached a national audience on Jan, 8, 1990 when the Aggies hosted the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) Runnin’ Rebels on ESPN’s Big Monday. The game had all the makings of a classic Big West showdown.
Led by Larry Johnson and Anderson Hunt, the Rebels had become an elite team in the country. The team embodied the flashy persona associated with the city of Las Vegas and did not shy away from playing the villain role in other cities, which certainly was the case in Las Cruces.
The team was coached by Jerry Tarkanian, who was also known as “Tark the Shark.” With this in mind, the Pan Amaniacs made their presence felt by hanging a giant replica shark from the rafters during the Rebels’ pregame warm-ups.
The game lived up to the hype and was decided in the final seconds when a jump shot by Keith Hill gave the Aggies an 83-82 victory. NMSU made it to the NCAA Tournament that year; while UNLV went on to win the national championship.
Although the Aggies reached five consecutive NCAA Tournaments in the 90’s, the pregame mascot hangings stopped in the middle part of the decade. There is no consensus reason why the ritual was stopped, but there are many possible aspects that led to the downfall of mascot hanging.
One of the more popular notions is that the new generations of Aggies were not willing to keep the tradition alive because making the mascots took a lot of time and effort.
“You have to really be a dedicated fan and have several others who feel the same way and willing to take the time to construct the mascot,” Taylor said. “Since these are the days of electronics, I feel most would rather take the time and spend it on the web, e-net and other areas.”
However, last year the NMSU Athletics Marketing Department launched an attempt to revive mascot hangings in the final two games of the men’s basketball season. The pregame ritual has also been a part of Aggie home games throughout this season.
“Reaction has been very positive from those that remember the old tradition,” said NMSU Associate Athletic Director Steve Macy. “I believe it is still catching on with students who have not seen it before.”
Although the athletics marketing department has taken it upon itself to revive mascot hangings, Macy said the department is open to suggestions on ways to make it better and improve the game atmosphere.
Macy also said the department is also willing to allow students to create the mascots as they did in the early 90’s. A family member of a marketing intern is contracted for this season to design and construct the mascots used for hangings.
“We are hopeful that the rebirth of this tradition will gain momentum and our students will enjoy this pregame ritual,” Macy said. “We are trying to make it better and have already moved the timing to coincide with the introduction of the visiting team’s starting lineup.”
Time will tell if pregame mascot hangings will once again be a staple at the Pan Am Center. The future of the ritual largely rests in the hands of the student body.
“I can’t say for sure, but I hope so,” Taylor said of the possibility pregame mascot hangings are back for good. “It would be great if it was taken over by the students again, but that requires a great deal of dedication and time.”
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