CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

Eastern New Mexico vs. West Texas

Eastern New Mexico and West Texas first met in 1945 and have played 7 times; West Texas leads the series 5–⁠2. Over the last 7 meetings it’s West Texas 5–⁠2, and West Texas has won the last 3. The winner takes home the Wagon Wheel. West Texas holds it.

Eastern New Mexico wins
2
West Texas wins
5
Ties
0
First meeting
1945
Longest streak
3 West Texas
Current streak
3 West Texas
Last 10 meetings
West Texas 5–⁠2
Most recent
2026

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1940s0–⁠1
2020s2–⁠4
Average margin
20.4 points; 2 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Eastern New Mexico
1–⁠3 Eastern New Mexico’s record at home
At West Texas
2–⁠1 West Texas’s record at home

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Wagon Wheel

Played for since
—
Held by
West Texas

Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games (CC BY-SA).

Games that tell the story

  1. Eastern New Mexico’s biggest win2023: Eastern New Mexico 35, West Texas 27by 8 points
  2. West Texas’s biggest win1945: West Texas 57, Eastern New Mexico 6by 51 points
  3. Upset2022: Eastern New Mexico 24, West Texas 21Eastern New Mexico had a 18% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Eastern New Mexico and West Texas, 1945 on13001500170019501960197019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Every game

Oct 17, 2026West Texas 41, Eastern New Mexico 27at Eastern New Mexico
Oct 18, 2025West Texas 43, Eastern New Mexico 14at West Texas
Oct 19, 2024West Texas 42, Eastern New Mexico 24at Eastern New Mexico
Nov 4, 2023Eastern New Mexico 35, West Texas 27at Eastern New Mexico
Nov 5, 2022Eastern New Mexico 24, West Texas 21at West Texas
Oct 16, 2021West Texas 44, Eastern New Mexico 24at Eastern New Mexico
Sep 15, 1945West Texas 57, Eastern New Mexico 6at West Texas

Every game is listed as played on the field.