New Mexico State cuts equestrian program again
LAS CRUCES – New Mexico State University regents voted unanimously to shut down the school’s equestrian program Friday. The decision comes six months after Chancellor Garrey Carruthers first eliminated it, then restored it three days later amid public outcry, granting the team one year to become self-sufficient in order to remain an NCAA-sanctioned team.
Cutting the program was initially projected to save the university approximately $417,000 — part of $12.1 million the administrators were trying to cut at the time. Carruthers, admitting the team should have been given more notice, agreed to find nonrecurring funds to pay for the team to compete for one more year.
The elimination of the program was originally included on the consent agenda for a regents meeting late last year, according to NMSU associate vice president for marketing and communications Justin Bannister. However, regents requested the decision be brought to them for a final vote.
Several team members, a parent and coach Robin Morris-Walters addressed the regents at the beginning of Friday’s meeting. Sue Padilla, whose daughter Hallie is a junior on the team, told regents about a variety of fundraising efforts the team has pursued.
“Our campaign began with reaching out to large donors, small donors, participating in Giving Tuesday, crowdfunding and accepting pledges,” Padilla said. “On Tuesday evening, I received an email from one of our donors willing to contribute $100,000 to our cause.”
Liz Ellis, general counsel for NMSU, told regents that even with the fundraising the team has done, the team is still at least $178,000 short of the funds necessary to sustain it next year.
Braun Cartwright, deputy athletics director and chief operating officer, said the equestrian program was chosen for a variety of reasons.
“Unfortunately, we’re sponsoring the minimum number of men’s programs as it is,” Cartwright said. “In evaluating the women’s programs, we looked at equestrian for a few reasons. One of those, initially, was the Commission on Women’s Athletics had requested that the equestrian program be removed from the NCAA list of emerging sports about two years ago. Additionally, the equestrian program is not a sponsored sport by the Western Athletic Conference or the Sun Belt Conference.”
Regent Kari Mitchell said Friday’s vote to eliminate the program was the most difficult she has had to make as a regent.
“There is not a single soul in this room who wants to do this, or wants to see this program (eliminated),” Mitchell said. “But this is probably, truthfully, the first of many hard decisions that we will be forced to make over the next 18 months to two years.”
After the regents voted to eliminate the program, about 25 members of the team left the meeting, many in tears.
“It’s a heartbreaking decision, for sure,” said Kaitlin Nelson, a sophomore on the team. “We really put all of the effort we could into this, while at the same time maintaining that championship attitude that we have, and the championship game we bring into the ring. To see the outpouring of support from the community was really incredible. I’d really like to thank everyone who stepped up and fought for this.”