The 2017 New Mexico State Aggies football team represented New Mexico State University as a member of the Sun Belt Conference during the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Doug Martin, the Aggies compiled an overall record of 7âÂÂ6 with a mark of 4âÂÂ4 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for fifth in the Sun Belt; this was the program's first winning season since 2002. New Mexico State played home games at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
New Mexico State was invited to the Arizona Bowl, where the Aggies defeated Utah State in 26âÂÂ20 overtime. This was the first bowl game appearance for the program since 1960. This would be the last season the Aggies finished with a winning record or appear in a bowl game until 2022.
This was the final season the Aggies competed as members of the Sun Belt. In March 2016, the presidents of the conference's member institutions voted to drop football-only members New Mexico State and Idaho following the 2017 season. The vote came after the NCAA announced a rule change that allows conferences to host football championship games with only 10 members. Starting with the 2018 season, the Aggies would compete as FBS independents until joining Conference USA in 2023.
New Mexico State announced its 2017 football schedule on March 1, 2017. The 2017 schedule consisted of five home and seven away games in the regular season. The Aggies hosted Sun Belt foes Arkansas State, Idaho, South Alabama, and Troy, and traveled to Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, LouisianaâÂÂLafayette, and Texas State.
The Aggies hosted one of the four non-conference opponents, UTEP from Conference USA, and traveled to Arizona State from the Pac-12 Conference, Arkansas from the Southeastern Conference and New Mexico from the Mountain West Conference.
With the win, the Aggies became bowl eligible for the first time since 2002.