For many years the rivalry was often referred to as the "Battle of I-25" in recognition of the campuses both being located along the Interstate Highway System.

The Thursday evening before that year's rivalry football game, University of New Mexico students and student government annually host a celebration, the Red Rally, in which an effigy of an Aggie is set on fire.

"[6] Conversely, New Mexico State students set an effigy of a Lobo on fire the week of the game at the parking lot near Memorial Stadium.

The UNM–NMSU series is somewhat unusual among non-conference rivalries in that the schools traditionally play a two-game home-and-home series each season (another example of such a rivalry is the Nashville mid-major matchup between Belmont and Lipscomb).

Although a few individuals have proposed cutting the series back to a more conventional single annual meeting, fan sentiment at both schools remains strong for preserving the traditional two meetings per season format.

This stretch also covered a two-year period in which UNM did not field a women's basketball team.