State auditor plans single report on athletics department

State Auditor Tim Keller announced Friday that his office will release a comprehensive audit on the finances of The University of New Mexico’s athletic department, rather than releasing each item individually.

In an email, the State Auditor’s Office updated the status of the audit into spending by the athletic department, which has faced increased scrutiny over the past year. The email indicated the audit “covers numerous financial management concerns, including unpaid luxury boxes, compensation and travel.”

“We are working to get to the bottom of what’s going on with public funds in our state’s flagship sports program,” Keller said in a statement.

“Our special audit is examining a number of allegations, some of which have come to light like unpaid luxury boxes. Instead of piecing together oneoff documents, we are going to get comprehensive answers and bring accountability.”

The update comes on the heels of UNM revealing Monday that the athletic department failed to collect $432,000 in Pit luxury suite rentals since the boxes became available during the 2010-11 men’s and women’s basketball season. The state Attorney General’s Office, which is conducting its own investigation into UNM’s athletic department, requested information about the unpaid bills Tuesday.

The UNM athletic department has been under intense scrutiny since May, when several news reports uncovered that it spent more than $63,000 in school money on an ill-advised fundraising golf outing to Scotland and paid for the trips of at least three boosters. The scandal was followed by the announcement of athletic director Paul Krebs’ resignation on June 1.

In April, UNM fired head men’s basketball coach Craig Neal despite owing him a $1 million buyout on his contract.

The men’s basketball program also was under investigation for alleged misuse of a purchase card by Cody Hopkins, then the director of basketball operations, who an internal audit accused of embezzling $63,000 during the 2015-16 season. The department also ran up a deficit of more than $4.3 million over the past 10 years.