UNM Athletics: Need cash from students

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - UNM Athletics is asking students to cough up more cash after they say they are up against another budget crunch, but why?

“We want our athletic department to be a source of pride for our students,” Deputy Director of Athletics for UNM, Tim Cass, said Tuesday.

To do that, the athletics department says it needs an extra $420,000 from students.

The department already get's $3.1 million out of student fees and the request is nothing new.

“It's the same request we made a year ago,” said Cass. “It wasn't granted last year for the full amount so we went back to ask them for that same amount this year.”

So, why the shortfall?

KRQE News 13 asked if the athletic department would need the extra money if the football program were putting more fans in the stands.

“I don't think that's accurate,” Cass responded.

Cass says changes to the Mountain West Conference have put them in a bind.

“The difference in the league with adding Hawaii and adding Utah State, Boise State which come on board this upcoming year, there are some additional costs associate with that,” Cass said.

Cass says all UNM's teams need a boost to their travel budgets. The increase would mean an extra $19 per student; their fees to athletics alone are already about $130 per student.

The Student Fee Review Board will discuss the proposal this weekend but the regents will have the ultimate say.