NMSU has no plan of dropping down division in football

New concerns tonight about NMSU dropping down a division in football after another Sun Belt school said it is considering that possibility.

The Idaho Statesman prompted the discussion after fellow Sun belt Member Idaho, which like NMSU has a four-year tentative agreement with the conference, is exploring dropping down a division in football.

So where does that leave the Aggies?

We sat down earlier today with NMSU president Garrey Carruthers in his office at Hadley Hall.

He said he has a presentation scheduled for Feb. 17 with the Sun Belt Conference, at which the Aggies’ membership will be evaluated.

Carruthers said he isn’t sure how the possibility of Idaho dropping down would affect NMSU, but he indicated he does have some positive talking points for his presentation, including three wins last season and several near misses, not to mention an increase in average attendance to more than 17,000, back above the NCAA’s 15-thousand minimum requirement.

Regardless of Idaho’s situation, Carruthers is confident the Aggies will remain in the Sun Belt through at least 2017 at least.

“We’re pretty sure we’re gonna be in the Sun Belt for at least two more years because of an agreement we made four years ago,” Carruther’s said. “We play two years and then we do an evaluation, which is what we’re doing right now and then we would play it on out depending on if they want to extend our contract.”

Carruthers added that NMSU’s intentions are to remain at the top level of college football.