Would leaving MWC solve UNM’s woes?

THE RECENT news about the UNM Athletic Department has focused almost exclusively on the regents’ decision to eliminate soccer, skiing and a few other sports. That has overshadowed discussion of other major aspects of the proposed deficit reduction plan. President (Garnett) Stokes and the regents were correct in taking on mismanagement and long-standing deficit spending by Athletics. However, their so-called “cost-sharing” plan simply transfers several million dollars in athletic expenses to other university accounts. Among those costs are re-payment and interest on bonds for renovations to the stadium and Pit, housing and meal costs for athletes that raise the prices for all other students who live on campus, advising services by college advisers, and more.

UNM students and their families are paying around $3.7 million dollars in student fees earmarked for athletics this year. The current plan would add major new costs for those who are required or choose to live on campus, to pay for the lost revenue. Academic departments and colleges, which have already suffered major budget cuts for years, will be subsidizing services previously paid by the athletic budget. That will mean less funding for academic and student services for the whole campus.

Some legislators hint they will try to increase state appropriations to cover the proposed team eliminations. However, New Mexico taxpayers already pay some $4 million every year for Lobo athletics. Do taxpayers statewide really think paying for years of mismanagement by UNM is the best use of their (tax dollars)? Over the past 10 years, UNM has paid several million dollars in salaries and “severance pay” for a series of failed head coaches. The current UNM football coach earns more than $800,000 per year. That is scandalous. We would not accept other public employees making that kind of salary, and no public servants should be allowed to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers.

There is one possible alternative which could provide serious intercollegiate athletic competition in many sports at a much lower cost. That is to leave the Mountain West Athletic Conference and seek a more appropriate Division 1 league. UNM has never seriously explored this option. Perhaps the Legislature should put this on the table by holding public hearings before pouring more state money into the current financially unsustainable business model we have been operating under for years.