New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center Opens
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — With a little bit of pomp and circumstance, and a whole lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, the newest facility for Lobo Athletics, the New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center, was officially christened to open with a noontime ceremony on Thursday.
On hand were members of the athletics department, main campus and dignitaries from New Mexico Mutual as well as UNM student-athletes, who saw the finished facility for the first time. The 11,312-square foot facility (9,774 on the weight training floor and 1,538 on the cardio mezzanine) will allow for all Lobo athletic teams to have a new space in which to continue athletic performance training.
The new facility is located in the South End Zone of University Stadium, and its construction was easy to document as its progress was very visible during the 2022 football season on television during games broadcast on CBS Sports Network and FS1 and FS2.
“I’m grateful for our continued partnership with New Mexico Mutual,” said Vice President/Director of Athletics Eddie Nuñez. “The investment into our student-athletes by a local company will allow for the very best for all our student-athletes. As we continue to strive for championships, both in the Mountain West and nationally, the New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center will be a key piece towards realizing those goals.”
Nuñez added, “I want to sincerely thank New Mexico Mutual President & CEO Kellie Mixon for her strong and continued support of Lobo Athletics, as well as Norm Becker, former CEO when this project was taking root.”
With its emphasis on physical fitness, the NMMCTC aligns with New Mexico Mutual’s commitment to the health and well-being of all New Mexicans, as well as its focus on New Mexico’s workforce.
“New Mexico Mutual is a home-grown business, so it’s a natural fit to support New Mexico student-athletes. We have been proud to watch this building come to life as we believe physical fitness is a crucial component of well-being,” said Kellie Mixon, President and CEO of New Mexico Mutual. “In the workers’ compensation industry, we see the importance of physical fitness every day. Workers who are physically fit are less likely to injure themselves—and those who DO get hurt on the job have faster recoveries and better outcomes. The New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center will allow all Lobo student-athletes to maintain proper health and fitness and allow the Lobos to compete at the highest level.”
The grand opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the new space, which more than doubles UNM’s current athletic performance space. The NMMCTC houses all new athletic performance equipment, from free weights and stations to a full cardio area.
While the facility is housed in the Football End Zone Club, the NMMCTC is large enough that all Lobo teams will be utilizing the facility, including multiple teams at the same time. The facility will also allow UNM’s medical and athletic training staff to utilize the latest technology in both injury prevention and injury rehabilitation.
The New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center is UNM’s first new facility since the construction of the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium, which opened in time for the 2014-15 tennis season and the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Baseball Clubhouse, which opened in 2016. The last update to UNM’s athletic performance facilities occurred in August of 2014 when UNM’s weight room inside of the Tow Diehm Football Complex was renovated.
ABOUT NEW MEXICO MUTUAL
New Mexico Mutual is the largest writer of workers’ compensation insurance in New Mexico, providing businesses with quality, cost-effective workers’ compensation coverage for over 30 years. The local company was formed to fill a need in 1991, when workers’ comp insurance was out of reach for many New Mexico businesses. Today New Mexico Mutual has an A- (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best, the world’s largest credit rating agency specializing in the insurance industry. The company provides policyholders with a wealth of safety assistance and resources at no extra cost. For more information, please visit newmexicomutual.com.