With this week’s addition of Hawaii as a full member, the MW looks as though it has stabilized and will live to see another round of realignment. It was a wild few weeks with surprises (Utah State jumping to the PacX at the last second!), intrigue (will the AAC schools stay or leave?), and an incredible amount of anxiety that certain schools will be left in an awful situation. Thankfully, the Lobos don’t have to wonder about where their future lies anymore, but there were nights where there was legitimate concern.

As much pride we take in the Lobos and the University, I can’t help but think that this round of realignment was a massive reality check as to where we actually stand in the overall pecking order.

I’ve long been annoyed at the perception that some MW fans have of UNM. That we’re deadweight. That they can’t wait to not be in the same conference. That Albuquerque is a wasteland. That no one wants us. I’ve usually been able to take a step back and ignore that noise. After all, UNM is a flagship university with some excellent research ties, a top-50 media market, and a rabid fanbase. We have the Pit and a deep history of basketball support and success. Some of our Olympic sports are top-notch, with both individual and team National Championships. And sure, our football has been down for a while, but that can be revitalized and Bronco might be the guy to do it!

But when push came to shove that didn’t matter. It’s not clear how many MW schools the PacX would have needed to poach before UNM was included, but it was far, far more than I think any of us would have liked to admit.

So what now? Are we okay being lapped by many, many other schools? Are we really okay being talked about in the same regard as Tarleton State? Are we going to be ready for the next round of realignment when it comes (and it will)?

There are a few things that should be done before we’re left without a seat in the next round of musical chairs and ideally, this experience will kickstart some of them.

First, and I know that it’s being worked on, we need to hire an Athletic Director who has a plan for the department to rise to the next level and the experience to execute on that plan. This person needs to be able to be a fierce advocate for the department, an energizing fundraiser, and a savvy executive. I personally liked Eddie Nunez and wish he had stayed around longer, as the department felt like it was in better shape when he left than when he found it. But now we need someone to build on the foundation that has been laid.

Second, it we need to improve our football stadium. It’s a bit of a joke that in Texas there are high school stadiums that are better than University Stadium, but having spent more than enough time in Texas, it’s true! The actual experience of going to a game is not particularly fun, with parts of the stadium getting blinded during sundown and basically no place to sit that isn’t a metal bench (also fun in both hot and cold days!) It feels old. Unfortunately, if the team is bad, as it mostly has been the past… ugh… 15 years, there’s not a great reason to go to the game.

Compare that to across the street, and not the Pit. The Isotopes regularly draw big crowds, regardless of how well the team is doing or who is even on the team. Why? Because the experience of going to a game is, simply put, fun. When I was in college, I got to tour the Frisco RoughRiders Stadium with their General Manager and he explained to me that because he had no real control about the roster, the lineup, or the rotation, he was able to focus on making sure the experience itself was a good experience for the whole family. Good concession options. Clean bathrooms. Comfortable seating with good views. That’s the sort of mindset that would really help the football experience.

Lastly, we need to make sure that we’re doing what we can to keep our good coaches, providing the athletes with the resources and facilities to thrive, and a strong NIL to win on the recruiting trail. I think we’re okay in this regard right now (particularly on the NIL side), but we can still be better. There’s no reason that we can’t be the premier athletic department in the new MW (no matter who else gets added at this point), but it will take a concerted effort to make sure that’s possible.

All in all, this issue largely feels like it comes down to investment. The school and the state should invest more, full stop. UNM is, again, the flagship university for the state and whether we like it or not, how UNM Athletics is viewed can heavily influence how people view both the school and the state. After all, look at what it does for the perception of Alabama. And whether we like it or not, football is the driving force right now, so if you care about UNM basketball, or volleyball, or cross country, or any of the other programs that we sponsor, we need to get football right. And that means we have to try.