NMSU Unveils master plan for athletic facilities upgrades

Athletic facilities at New Mexico State University could soon be seeing some upgrades.

NMSU recently released a wish list of projects it hopes to get done.

The total cost is estimated at more than $14 million and NMSU will be looking at donors and even state lawmakers for financial support.

New Mexico is the only state in the country that gives each state lawmaker a share of infrastructure money that they can use however they see fit.

NMSU would like to get a share of that money to fund some of its projects.

NMSU Athletics Director, Mario Moccia, says the recent success of NMSU sports teams has shown that it is a worthy university to invest in.

“I think success can only set the table for donors and legislators to say, ‘Hey, they’re doing a really good job there,’ that kind of puts it on the table and make it easier for people to donate or legislators to maybe support a project,” Moccia said.

The renovations at Aggie Memorial Stadium include a brand new press box and also a new scoreboard.

The cost for those renovations is more than $8 million.

Moccia says the current scoreboard is more than ten years old.

“The scoreboard is definitely on its last legs,” Moccia said. “Quite frankly on game day we’re all crossing our fingers that the thing turns on and operates the whole time.”

At the Pan American Center, Moccia Hope’s to make improvements to the arena’s concourse and also add a suite level to bring in some additional revenue for the university.

Those upgrades come with an estimated cost of about $3 million.

It’s not just football and basketball that could be seeing some improvements, but soccer as well.

There is a plan to add lights at the NMSU soccer field and baseball could one day have an indoor hitting facility.

The hitting facility has an estimated cost of one-million dollars and NMSU is currently in talks with a donor to get the funding to build it.

NMSU baseball coach, Brian Green, sees the upgrades as a helpful selling point for recruiting and he’s seen the benefits first-hand with the recent renovations at NMSU’s ballpark.

“It changed the landscape of the value statement of when kids came to campus of what the importance of athletics might mean,” Green said. “To talk about and to envision a hitting facility, now you’re getting into an entire new arena for NMSU baseball.”

NMSU has had to do more with less and NMSU athletes have proven they can still compete despite the quality of their facilities.

Moccia credits their underdog mentality and it’s an attitude administrators will also have to have in fighting to get the funding for their projects.