Aggie up and away

NMSU’s official hot-air balloon, Aggie Up, has decked out the skies in crimson and white,
elevating Aggie pride near and far after its successful debut in Las Cruces during fall 2024.

October 2023 

NMSU’s Marketing and Communications office began collaborating with Rainbow Ryders, a premier hot-air balloon ride company in the Southwest, and Lindstrand Balloons USA, a hot-air balloon manufacturer based in Galena, Illinois, to bring the Aggie hot-air balloon idea to life.

January to July 2024

Initial planning and design phase of the balloon began in early 2024, with production beginning in April 2024. Production of NMSU’s hot-air balloon took around four months to complete. The balloon is 90,000 cubic feet in volume, measuring 85 feet tall and 58 feet wide when fully inflated. The balloon was completed in July 2024.

August 2024

NMSU’s Marketing and Communications office hosted an online contest to name the hot-air balloon.

September 2024

Aggie Up was announced as the name of the balloon, which made its official debut during a pep rally sponsored by ASNMSU. Two days later, the balloon was displayed again outside Aggie Memorial Stadium at the Aggies’ football game against the University of New Mexico.

“I’m overwhelmed by the response we’ve seen each time the balloon makes an appearance at events across the state. People love it,” says Justin Bannister ’03 ’13, chief of staff for the NMSU President’s Office. “When people see Aggie Up participating in events, it helps to bring energy and excitement, and it continues to build a sense of Aggie pride. In less than a year, the balloon has already made so many appearances around the state, and we still have much more planned going forward.”

Brad Rice ’93, a pilot associate at Rainbow Ryders, shares a special connection to the hot-air balloon as the first pilot to show off Aggie Up to the community during the balloon glow at the pep rally with his son, Carson Rice.

“It is fun to wear Aggie gear, display the NMSU license plate on the vehicle and adorn my belongings with Aggie decals, but it is another level to fly a 90,000-cubic foot balloon plastered with your alma mater logos and colors,” Brad Rice says. “Nothing could top this except for the fact my son, Carson, decided to attend NMSU to pursue a mechanical engineering degree. To have him by my side as my crew chief during the balloon events, not only as my son, but a fellow Aggie, is truly special.”

“It has been amazing having the opportunity to be the crew chief for the Aggie Up hot-air balloon,” Carson Rice says. “I’ve been working with balloons and helping my dad since before I can remember. It’s been a huge part of our family, and to be given an opportunity to work with balloons even when I’m not living at home is amazing.”

October 2024

Aggie Up appeared at the 2024 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

January 2025

After a 14-year hiatus, the Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally returned to Las Cruces at the Field of Dreams and featured Aggie Up.

Fall 2025

Aggie Up is slated to make its second appearance at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October 2025. 

“Hopefully, the balloon will be utilized often in the future; showcasing NMSU in a unique and memorable way,” says Troy Bradley, a pilot associate with Rainbow Ryders. “The Aggie Up balloon is a wonderful tool for drawing attention to NMSU and creating an unmistakable centerpiece for school spirit. Rainbow Ryders looks forward to supporting that mission for many years to come.”