Rematch! Lobos and Tourists Head Back to HLC Superb Bowl™

There are very few sure bets in life. Death. Taxes. USB cables only working on the third try. And the Lobos playing in the HLC title game. You could try to argue that the last one isn’t a certainty, but you’d be wrong, at least based on the data set we have to work with. Four seasons. Four trips to the big game.

After dismantling the Rockport Leatherheads in the semifinals, the Lobos once again find themselves in familiar territory, with a chance to claim their first championship since winning it all in the league’s inaugural season.

Semifinal Recap

On the top side of the bracket, New Mexico left little doubt over the two-week semifinal. The Lobos rolled past Rockport by a wide margin, , 334-219, posting one of the strongest totals of the postseason and never really letting the outcome drift into question. Rockport hung around early, but New Mexico’s lineup consistently produced across both weeks, turning what began as a competitive matchup into a decisive win. For a team that has made a habit of reaching the title game, this was one of their more complete playoff performances.

The other semifinal delivered exactly what the bracket promised: drama. Austin and i2³Σπ traded punches throughout both weeks, with the lead swinging back and forth and neither team able to create real separation. In the end, Austin did just enough to pull ahead, edging out the Robots by a score of 297-277 and securing a return trip to the championship game.

In the consolation ladder, Michiana continued their season-long tradition of scoring massive points—this time while actually being rewarded for it—blowing past the Jaybirds, 348-259. Tortilla Flats also advanced after outpacing the Tacos in a matchup that felt appropriately spicy given the team names involved.

Third-Place Game Preview

While most eyes will be on the Superb Bowl, the third-place game still carries real weight. Rockport and i2³Σπ will square off with a spot on the podium at stake. For Rockport, it’s a chance to improve on last year’s semifinal exit. For the Robots, it’s an opportunity to cap their first winner’s-bracket appearance with hardware. It may not come with a trophy, but third place still counts as a strong postseason finish, and nobody wants to end the year on a loss if they can help it.

Consolation Ladder Outlook

Tortilla Flats faces Michiana in a matchup that should feature plenty of points. It feels fitting that these two end up facing off to close the season, as both finished with the highest points-against totals in the league and likely would have reached the playoffs if standings were based on points for alone. The Tacos and Jaybirds round out the bracket in a game that offers one last chance to finish the season on a high note.

Championship Preview: Austin vs. New Mexico (Again)

And now we arrive at the HLC championship game, which will now be referred to as the HLC Superb Bowl™. The “b” is not a typo. There exists a certain three-letter entity that gets a little touchy about other leagues borrowing their terminology, and we’d rather not hear from their lawyers.

Jokes aside, this year’s Superb Bowl™ is a rematch of last season’s championship, a tightly contested 286–267 Austin victory that capped off a memorable underdog run. The Tourists entered the 2024 playoffs as the lowest seed with a .500 regular-season record and left as champions. This year, they return with a stronger résumé and a chance to defend the title—and become the first HLC team to repeat as champions.

For New Mexico, the storyline is equally clear. No team has been more consistently present at the business end of the HLC postseason, but the Lobos have only one championship to show for it—the inaugural title. Another dominant regular season and another convincing semifinal win have put them back where they expect to be. Now comes the part that has eluded them the last two years.

Austin arrives battle-tested after surviving the league’s tightest semifinal. New Mexico arrives rested, confident, and fully aware of what happened the last time these two teams met with a trophy on the line. The league’s most reliable postseason fixture meets its most recent champion, with plenty of history baked into a two-week finale.

Death, taxes, and Lobos in the title game may be safe bets. But what happens over the next two weeks is anything but.

2025 HLC Podium: TBD