Athletics brings in financial officer
Robinson will be asked to fix budget
The financial problems in recent years of the University of New Mexico athletics department aren’t entirely because there was no chief financial officer in the department.
But filling the position has become arguably the top priority to stabilize the business side of UNM athletics after seven months of intense media scrutiny and three state investigations have uncovered several questionable financial management issues.
Wednesday, new UNM athletic director Eddie Nuñez announced he has hired Rob Robinson as the university’s new senior associate AD/CFO.
Robinson, who will begin working at UNM in January, is a Chattanooga, Tenn., native. He has spent nearly the past five years at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, where he is senior associate athletic director for finance and administration.
“My goal for UNM athletics is to develop an exemplary program that’s modeled on innovation, competitiveness and intelligence,” Nuñez said in a statement released by UNM. “Smart, strategic financial planning and management will be pivotal to every metric of our success, from athletics to the graduation of students who are prepared to excel in sports and beyond. Rob’s wide range of experience allows him to have a big picture view of every decision we make and I expect he will be an invaluable contributor to our future.”
The Journal has asked how much Robinson will be paid, but UNM has not responded.
A recent “special audit” conducted by the state auditor’s office identified a general lack of financial accountability in the department and the larger UNM structure. Hiring a CFO in athletics was among many recommendations made in that audit and has been cited by several UNM administrators for months as the first major move Nuñez needed to make after starting the job in October.
Robinson will oversee the financial operations of a department that runs on what is roughly a $33 million annual budget.
UNM has not balanced its athletics budget in eight of the past 10 fiscal years. It already has warned its board of regents it is on pace to have a $1.3 million deficit for the current fiscal year ending June 30.
Robinson will also be tasked with constructing future budgets and generating revenue projections, which have been identified by UNM in recent months as being unrealistic.
In August, UNM Interim President Chaouki Abdallah said of UNM athletics’ consistent deficits, “potential contributing factors may include optimistic estimates of attendance and revenues.”
Football has not met ticket revenue projections in several years and again missed projections by more than $300,000 for the current season, which had its final home game last week. The Lobos men’s basketball team finished season ticket sales at 8,057, the lowest total in the Pit in at least the 12 years.