WHEN THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO announced it would cut the men’s soccer program in 2018, fans, players, and alumni were stunned. The Lobos weren’t just competitive—they were nationally recognized for both athletic and academic success. In A Beautiful Shame (Bloomsbury), historian Ryan Swanson takes readers inside that tumultuous final season. Acting as both reporter and fan, he reveals the politics, budget battles, and human costs behind the decision. More than a sports book, it’s a story about community, identity, and not going down without a fight. “This place is a corrosive mix of pride and shame,” Swanson writes of his adopted home state. Yet, as he shows, a scrappy spirit is the New Mexico way—and the Lobos’ legacy.