[23] He was selected as the ninth pick overall in the 1967 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals, but he chose to play in the fledgling American Basketball Association (ABA), becoming one of its greatest all-time players.

[26] New Mexico State hired Lou Henson as head coach in 1966, and like the Lobos under King, in his second season the Aggies began achieving national rankings and post-season tournament appearances.

King suffered a heart attack and brain aneurysm shortly before Bird's senior season, however, and his assistant, Bill Hodges, led the team to the 1979 Final Four, where they lost to Michigan State in the championship game.

The program thrived, and Ellenberger became a local celebrity, restaurateur, and man-about-town, earning the nickname "Stormin' Norman" for his flashy attire and fiery coaching style.

In 1972–73, the Lobos raced out to a 9–0 record, including road wins at Oregon State and eventual Southwest Conference champion Texas Tech, leading to their first appearance in the national rankings in nearly four years.

In January 1976, #4 UNLV survived a scare from the underdog Lobos before a Pit-record crowd of 19,452, with fans overflowing onto the concourse and sitting in the stairways,[35][46][47] a game still lauded as one of the greatest and loudest ever in The Pit.

[55] Before the 1977–78 season, Ellenberger installed what he called the "Equal Opportunity Motion Offense", a run-and-gun attack emphasizing picks and passing as players rotate through each position, taking advantage of his versatile, athletic lineup.

The Lobos stood at 7–2 after losing to #10 Syracuse, then rattled off 14 straight wins, including a home-and-away sweep of #9 UNLV, pushing them into the national rankings and eventually into the top ten.

Based on this conversation, the FBI launched an investigation that led to a federal indictment of Ellenberger on seven counts of fraud and forgery of academic transcripts, though he was acquitted of those charges at trial.

[36][60] The NCAA investigation into the scandal found 34 violations of recruiting rules, and the Lobo program was placed on probation and banned from post-season appearances for three years.

While he initially relied on JC transfers to fill the roster, he also began the slow process of rebuilding the program around freshmen recruits, with a greater emphasis on academics.

[67] A highlight of Colson's first season was his fourth game as head coach, hosting an Arizona State team that would reach #3 in the nation led by future NBA players Byron Scott, Fat Lever, Alton Lister, and Sam Williams.

[46] The 1983–84 Lobos relied almost exclusively on four senior starters, led by Smith and Tim Garrett, to the point that they took over the top four positions in school history for minutes played in a season.

Elliott had an opportunity to put Arizona in the lead with a three-pointer with seconds remaining, but Greene blocked the shot to seal the win, the only time the Lobos have beaten a #1-ranked opponent.

The Lobos again returned to the NIT, beating Pepperdine and Oregon before losing in the quarter-finals to Ohio State, a team they had beaten earlier in the season, finishing with a 22–14 record.

[87] In the end, fans wanted more than Colson had managed to achieve, and despite the respect he had earned for rebuilding the program, the disappointment of failing to reach the NCAA tournament fueled support for a change.

Senior Willie Banks, an Albuquerque High product, led the team along with junior guards Ike Williams and Steve Logan and center Khari Jaxon.

Sophomore Smith led the team, scoring 16 points a game, while three freshmen – Clayton Shields, David Gibson, and Royce Olney – played extensively.

[131] Yet, despite his success, Bliss faced mounting criticism from fans and the media for poor academic performance by his players, lax discipline, lightweight schedules, and the failure to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

[133][138] The Lobos started the season 12–2, with an overtime win at Sweet 16-bound Gonzaga, but a blowout loss at #1 Stanford began a 1–6 slump, including several poor road performances.

Hosting #18 Gonzaga, Douglas missed a pair of free throws to send the game into overtime, and the Lobos lost; point guard Marlon Parmer ripped teammates in the locker room, beginning a string of problems on court and off.

[150] Versatile senior guard Mark Walters led the team with 16 points a game, but after winning four straight to build a 16–9 record, they lost four of five to finish 17–13 and did not receive a post-season bid.

The Lobos climbed to #16 with a 12–0 start, with a win over #19 Connecticut, before losing to NCAA tournament-bound South Dakota State; they won at #8 Cincinnati then lost at St Louis, which later reached #13.

Kirk led with 22 points and 12 rebounds, but the team shot poorly and trailed most of the game as the Crimson answered Lobo runs with timely three-pointers to seal the upset.

The Lobo players and fan base rallied around long-time associate head coach Craig Neal, hoping to maintain continuity, and he was hired to replace Alford.

The Lobos started out 8-6 in the non-conference, including a win against in-state rival New Mexico State where the game was delayed due to a power outage at Pan American Center.

[210] Luxury suites and club seats were added, along with digital video boards, expanded concourses, additional restrooms and concession stands, and upgraded training facilities,[46] while preserving the historic character of the building.

[221] The noise level of the boisterous fans, the intimacy created by seating extending to the edge of the court, and the elevation contribute to what Coach Dave Bliss termed "a Pit game.

[222] Over the years it has evolved into a family-like atmosphere held during the evening, including player introductions, practice drills and scrimmages, three-point shooting and slam dunk contests, and other festivities.

Roberts noted the noise level in The Pit as a challenge for a broadcaster: "There were a lot of times when I knew I was calling the game because my lips were moving, but I couldn't hear a thing I said.