New Mexico State University faculty concerned with recommendation to transfer $1.1M to athletics

[TexasTowelie]

LAS CRUCES —New Mexico State University faculty members have voiced opposition to ongoing discussions regarding the athletic department's $4.1 million debt ahead of next week's Board of Regents monthly meeting.

In recent months, Regents Chairwoman Debra Hicks tasked the Athletics Review Committee to "provide recommendations which address leveraging and sustaining the current "moment of success" in Aggie athletics.

That committee recently submitted its report, which is listed as an action item for Tuesday's meeting, following a work session earlier in the day. In the meantime, faculty groups and NMSU administrators have opposed the committee's suggestion of eliminating the debt and/or increasing the annual transfer of funds from the Instruction and General Fund to athletics.

Faculty Senate Chair-Elect Becky Corran told the Sun-News that faculty approved a memorial Thursday in opposition to those particular suggestions in the committee's report.

Read more: http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/sports/college/nmsu/2018/03/02/nmsu-faculty-concerned-recommendation-transfer-1-1-m-athletics/389851002/

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Everything I have ever read indicates that college sports are a drain on the school,

not something that actually brings money in.

If college athletes were paid for playing, I'd have no problem. But the current system encourages vast hypocrisy.

[exboyfil]

2. The athletic programs should be totally decoupled from the public universities

In a sense they would operate as farm clubs of the pro organizations. The only connection to the universities would be licensing of the name. All support for the teams in the form of donations and purchasing of ticketing and merchandising should be done by the fans. The students and the state should not be expected to pick up any of the tab for the programs.

The players would not be students of the university unless they elect to use their salary to pay for classes. In that they would have all the admission requirements of any other students.

It does bring up the question of other extracurricular programs. Music, debate, etc.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. Yes, the athletes should be paid.

Other extracurricular programs simply don't cost as much money. They just don't drain resources in the same way. They also don't demand as much from the students, and likewise don't hold out the promise of a high-paying career at the end. Well, there are the drama majors who go on to a successful career in Hollywood, but that's not held out as the promise the way a career in the NBA or NFL is dangled in front of the student athletes.

Baseball has a farm club system. So does hockey and maybe soccer. Basketball and Football use colleges as their farm clubs and aren't honest about it.