I am trying to find the obscure NCAA Records that you likely are not aware of and then couple it with the school that set the record really not celebrating it. You may know about this record, but you likely don’t. If you do know about this record, awesome, but keep it quiet so you don’t spoil it for anyone else.

This record is a bit of a dubious distinction and probably a good reason why it was forgotten. It’s a record that spanned from 1974 through 2001, and apparently I was in attendance when this record’s timeframe ended. Honestly, I had no idea this happened, but I remember swiping my Student ID to attend many games this season at Malone Stadium in Monroe, Louisiana. I’d almost positive I was in attendance for this one too. I didn’t have a job yet and I still lived on campus. I’d just walk to the stadium for the game. The record ending involves ULM, but it wasn’t set by ULM, or was it? It’s all confusing to me on how to refer to this as a record.

It supposedly took 27 years and 8 days to set this NCAA Record.

Well, I know you’d like to know who set the record or holds the record. It was a member of the newly formed Sun Belt Conference in 2001. The Sun Belt Members at the time of the conference’s formation were Arkansas State, Idaho, the Ragin' Cajuns (still known as Louisiana-Lafayette at the time in 2001), ULM, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State and North Texas.

Take a few guesses on this weird spread of teams in the first edition of the Sun Belt Conference. What team hadn’t shut out an opponent for 27 years and 8 days?

I’ll give you a moment and add a picture of the old Sun Belt logo here to let you think a little bit more.

The holder of this NCAA Record are the New Mexico State Aggies. Congratulate yourself if you got it correct.

On September 21, 1974 , the New Mexico State Aggies shut out West Texas A&M 41-0 on the road at Canyon, Texas. Then 283 Games later, they finally shut out another opponent on the road at Monroe, Louisiana likely with Commish in attendance.

This is a pretty astounding record for me but its entirely not plausible to think you could go 27 years and 8 days without shutting out another team.

For this one, I am going to go over all the New Mexico State Football Teams from 1974 through 2000 and see how many times they held their opponent in single digits via bullet points here. I may delve in greater detail if something sticks out over these 27 years and 8 days.

• New Mexico State seasons since where they held their opponent under 10 points.

• 1974 - 1 (The start of the streak)

• 1975 - 1 THEY SHUT OUT UT-ARLINGTON 16-0!! THE NCAA RECORD BOOK IS WRONG!!! Did they not count this since UTA doesn’t have football anymore??? I will be sending an update Aggies to the NCAA record books. This shaves 15 games off the supposed 283 game record??? It should be a 268 game record!!! Another record so forgotten the NCAA forgot to track it correctly.

• 1976 - 2 (Beat New Mexico 16-7 and beat Wichita State 26-6)

• 1977 - 3 (Beat Southern Illinois 29-7, beat Drake 35-9, beat UT Arlington 7-6)

• 1978 - 1 (Beat Indiana State 14-9)

• 1979 - 0

• 1980 - 1 (Beat UTEP 6-3)

• 1981 - 1 (Beat UTEP 14-7)

• 1982 - 0

• 1983 - 1 (Beat La Tech 15-7)

• 1984 - 0

• 1985 - 0

• 1986 - 0

• 1987 - 0

• 1988 - 0

• 1989 - 0

• 1990 - 1 (Beat Cal State Fullerton 43-9 for their only win of the year)

• 1991 - 0

• 1992 - 0

• 1993 - 0

• 1994 - 0

• 1995 - 0

• 1996 - 0

• 1997 - 0

• 1998 - 0

• 1999 - 4 (Beat New Mexico Highlands 73-7, beat #22 Arizona State 35-7, beat Utah State 14-6, beat North Texas 22-9)

• 2000 - 0

• 2001 - 2 (Beat ULM 31-0 in Monroe ending the corrected 268 game streak without a shutout and then the very next week they beat Tulsa 24-7 in Tulsa)

Funny thing about this is that New Mexico State hasn’t pitched a shutout since that fateful day in Monroe, Louisiana.

THAT WAS 280 GAMES AGO!!!!!!!

So their current streak is longer than the 268 Game streak they should be credited in the NCAA Record Books!

WE GOT AN ACTIVE STREAK ONGOING!!!

I submitted an email to the NCAA Record Books to try to get this updated.

Of course we had to make a small graphic for New Mexico State, who was the record holder and now still holds the record to stretch it out further.