Lucas Peerman

Assistant managing editor for sports and features @abqjournal ... hiking, brewery, coffee house, story suggestions welcome. #nmtrue

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

@KevJourno @ABQJournal I imagine James will be meeting with our partner papers soon. Stay tuned!

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

Some news out of the @ABQJournal today https://t.co/kORohdv94X

[Albuquerque Journal @ABQJournal]

Former Lobo star Donovan Dent headlines The Enchantment roster, coached by Lakers legend Byron Scott, in this summer's TBT tournament. https://t.co/8IXiUhM2KM

[Nick Coppola @Nick_Coppola__]

Crazy stats from today’s FIU-New Mexico State game:

- Panthers 30, Aggies 21
- Highest scoring Conference USA game this season (2nd highest was their game last Thursday: FIU 17, NMSU 12)
- 44 combined hits (28 FIU, 16 NMSU)
- 6 players had at least 4 hits (5 FIU, 1 NMSU)
- 18 pitchers took the mound (11 NMSU, 7 FIU)
- Only two of those pitchers gave up 0 runs (1 from each team)
- 5 home runs (4 FIU, 1 NMSU)
- 16 doubles (8 for each team)
- 17 walks (9 NMSU, 8 FIU)
- 9 hit-by-pitches (FIU beaned 5 batters, NMSU hit 4)
- 98 at-bats (55 FIU, 43 NMSU)
- At least 1 run in every inning
- 11 of the 18 half-innings had multiple runs scored
- FIU scored 11 in the 7th
- FIU batted .509 today
- 12 two-out RBIs (8 FIU, 4 NMSU)
- NMSU lead-off batters went a perfect 9-9
- 22 men were left on base (12 NMSU, 10 FIU)

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

@laurenvillagran Congrats!

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

Yeoman's work. Thank you @GeoffGrammer for continuing to help lead our digital efforts and championing local journalism.

[Geoff Grammer @GeoffGrammer]

Between the first podcast after the 2024-25 Lobo basketball season (a Richard Pitino interview after he left for Xavier, followed next by an Eric Olen just got hired podcast) to the last pregame show of the 2025-26 Lobo basketball season in Hinkle Fieldhouse in the NIT semifinals, the @ABQJournal had 97 shows — NINETY SEVEN! — devoted to UNM Lobo sports, all in addition to our regular coverage in the print edition and online.

In that year (and a few extra days) span — March 27, 2025 through April 2, 2026 — I was part of the following:
• 25 Talking Grammer podcast episodes
• 28 ABQJournal Sports Live! shows with colleague Sean Reider
• 12 UNM Lobo football postgame live shows
• 32 UNM Lobo basketball pregame shows
(34 if you count the two that were actually combo football postgame/basketball pregame shows I did when football and basketball had games on the same day).

So, yeah. #SupportLocalJournalism is about a whole lot more coverage than just a game recap article in the next day's paper. Subscribing to our social media channels and our YouTube page help, but still the best help is subscribing to the Journal digitally.

And I hope we start using the Journal-plus app options we have to subscriber-only content, chats and information from my beat in the coming year.

Anyway, just thought I'd share about the video side of the work we did in the past year in addition to about 300 written articles for the website and print edition.

Here's a link where you can subscribe to help support the coverage of the things you are interested in (but also go follow that YouTube page!): https://t.co/JFQRZZUAfT

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

@WesHender Wes, this was a fun conversation. I say that as president of the board for the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government. Would it be OK if NMFOG shared your conversation (and/or screenshots) on our socials?

[Geoff Grammer @GeoffGrammer]

UPDATE: NIL/rev share open records case regarding UNM and NMSU...

State District judge Elaine Lujan just denied a joint motion to dismiss filed by the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University to toss a New Mexico Foundation for Open Government case seeking NIL/rev share agreements with athletes using public money.

Obviously a lot more to it than this, but here's my swing at giving you the long and short of what just happened in this motion to dismiss hearing (which the judge denied):

Schools can't just broadly claim FERPA (student records) and trade secret exceptions to deny public records requests. If they claim an exception, they assume the burden of having to explain why those exemptions apply. You can't just say everything is a FERPA matter (which schools do regularly with records requests in New Mexico).

In case of FERPA, school must explain why redactions of names and other identifiers wouldn't make the rest of the document a public record.

As for trade secrets exemption, the schools don't have to disclose contract specifics to prove there are trade secrets, but they can't just blindly claim it and sort of take a "trust us" approach. Judge used the recipe of Coke as an example. You can explain why it's a trade secret without actually showing the recipe.

The schools have a much larger burden to meet than just denying a public records requests.

Open records laws pretty directly exist for matters like disclosure of a public entity paying millions of dollars to anyone using public money. To withhold that information from the public, using their (public) money, the schools have a lot more work to do to try and prove why they shouldn't have to.

The case continues. NMFOG contends the public has a right to know how much of their money is going to players at state schools, just like it does any publicly-paid employee or contract worker.

A secondary case was Nick Nuñez vs. NMSU for wrongful denial of records. NMSU initially told him the documents didn't exist, rather than offering reasons why they didn't release the records.

Judge Lujan clearly told NMSU's attorney, "You know if the records existed then or not", but won't just answer it, other than to admit the documents now exist. That case is contingent upon whether NMSU had documents and said they didn't.

Ultimately, Lujan said she believes NSMU messed up, but it wasn't a willful mistake and denied Nuñez's motion for sanctions against NMSU.

More info to come.

[Sean Reider @lenaweereider]

Terrific read from @DavidGlovach here.

[Geoff Grammer @GeoffGrammer]

ICYMI, a couple of @ABQJournal items from yesterday:
• Lobo softball ends 20-year postseason drought https://t.co/gr6E2rTdv5
• Lobo hoops: Home-and home series set with Utah State and NM State both visiting the Pit in nonconference play https://t.co/CiMtpL54T1

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

👀

[John Benavidez @ProfBenavidez]

UNM’s award-winning undergraduate Marketing Lab (formerly Advertising Campaigns) course is returning in Fall 2026 after a two-year hiatus. The client will be the @ABQJournal. Permission of instructor required. CRN: 83749

[Geoff Grammer @GeoffGrammer]

Look at that Journal sports page today! Where else are you getting that much local sports news EVERY DAY? Even national stories localized.

Support local journalism!

[Geoff Grammer @GeoffGrammer]

BREAKING:
One time Lobo killer joins the pack: Veteran forward Rytis Petraitis transfers to UNM

Story here: https://t.co/XnXBeRtRcc via @ABQJournal

[David Glovach @DavidGlovach]

Stanley Hubbard is a forward for the New Mexico Ice Wolves. He'll be playing college hockey at Robert Morris next season.

Oh, and he got his DI choice developed entirely in the state — a first.

“Everything I needed was here ... I never had to leave.”

https://t.co/uQo2wJ2asw

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

@JamesDYodice Fries with mustard (a common table condiment) ain't THAT weird. I mean, it's not like ...

[New Mexico Chupacabras @NMChupacabras]

FREE TICKETS for April 4th to anyone that emails [email protected]

[Sean Reider @lenaweereider]

Spring practice starts today. If you’re looking for an (overly long) primer with key storylines and players from each position, give this one a go ⬇️

[NMAA @_NMAA]

THE BEST VIDEO YOU WILL SEE TODAY
Espanola Valley High School put on one last routine at the end of the state spirit championship weekend and they gave a special student, Estrella Baca, an opportunity to take the mat and show her school spirit.

[Lucas Peerman @LucasPeerman]

This is March

[Chris Vannini @ChrisVannini]

Fun with basketball photos: This first shot didn't go in, the second one did.

[Geoff Grammer @GeoffGrammer]

The UNM Lobos earn one of the four regional host No. 1 seeds in the NIT and will host Sam Houston in the Pit on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. MT.