The Reality of UNM Athletic Scholarships

Every year, the Lobo Club raises money to fund more than $3.5 million to fund athletic scholarships at the University of New Mexico says the Lobo Athletics website. That is an awesome endeavor and achievement, but are the scholarships divided between teams fairly?

Per NCAA compliance, different sports within a school’s athletic program are designated a certain amount of scholarships. There are two categories that a sport goes under. There are head count sports and equivalency sports. Head count sports include football and both men’s and women’s basketball. All Division I football programs are given eighty-five scholarships while basketball teams are given thirteen full scholarships for almost all of their players. Sports with the equivalency scholarships are given a certain number of scholarships that may be split up among the team as coaches see fit. These sports include baseball, bowling, fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

The debate of fairness is up to discussion. While football teams have 85 scholarships for their team, sports like soccer have 9.9 scholarships to allocate to players on a roster of thirty. Baseball also splits 11.7 scholarships between players on a roster of twenty-five. There are reasons the NCAA established these numbers and were intended to be fair and realistic for all student-athletes. The University of New Mexico is not in charge of how many scholarships each team receives but rather makes sure it is in compliance with NCAA rules involving scholarships.

At this point the NCAA has way bigger fish to fry than changing scholarship allocation to different sports team. With all the controversy surrounding pay for play and the endorsement of collegiate athletes, there really is no room or controversy about this aspect of NCAA compliance.

“The system is fair here,” says Janice Ruggiero the Senior Associate Athletic Director at UNM. “The only exception may be football… there are obvious reasons why.”

She’s right as most schools make most of their money from athletics through football programs. That is not the case here at UNM though.

“This past year there were only 25 athletic departments in the nation that broke even in athletic revenue,” added Ruggiero.

I guess the reality about the system in place is that it centers around the sports that generate the most money for schools. It makes sense then that football and basketball teams would have the most scholarships for their players. It just may not be fair here at UNM where the football team is struggling. Even with the success of the Men’s Soccer Team, they still could not even raise enough money at their gates to fund travel expenses.

“Of course I would want me and my teammates to receive more scholarships,” sophomore soccer player Lucas Seligman said. “But it isn’t something we think about.”

As far as I can see, there won’t be any changes to the NCAA’s scholarship allowance. The resolution is really to enjoy the successes of UNM student-athletes and support all of our teams.

Important College Football Games of Week 8 With Predictions

Another huge Saturday slate of NCAA football is upon us as teams enter the second-half of the season. Here are four important games I will be following along with my predictions:

No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Florida State

This is the game of the weekend that everyone has been excited for. A battle of undefeated teams fighting to stay perfect. A battle between two programs with rich football history and tradition. Doak Walker Stadium will be packed by the Seminole faithful. A harsh environment is expected by Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly and his team. Both teams are looking to make a statement. Notre Dame will be fighting to prove that they can play with the top teams in the nation as their tough loss to Alabama in the 2013 National Championship is still on their minds and the Seminoles will be trying to prove that even though the statistics aren’t as good as last year, they are still a National Championship caliber team.

All eyes will be on the star quarterbacks taking the field Saturday night. Both Jameis Winston and Everett Golson are exciting, dynamic quarterbacks that are integral to their respective teams’ success. I expect Golson to have a huge game as Florida State’s defense has struggled against other dual-threat quarterbacks this season in J.W. Walsh of Oklahoma State, Deshaun Watson of Clemson and Jacoby Brissett of North Carolina State. Golson carries a bulk of the Notre Dame offensive production which has been a criticism by some, but if he has a big game against the Seminoles, he could be the difference.

Let’s not forget about all the drama and allegations surrounding the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Winston.  Allegations surfaced earlier this week that Winston was paid for autographs. At this point in time there is no supporting evidence but Winston is in the spotlight again for negative reasons. Throughout his career he has been able to block out problems and be extremely productive on the field. Head Coach Jimbo Fisher is in support of Winston and the school has chosen not to suspend him unlike Georgia with Todd Gurley. I think he will play fine tomorrow, but you have to wonder if he will finally break under the pressure.

My pick: Notre Dame

No. 21 Texas A&M at No. 7 Alabama

Another intriguing game brought to us by the SEC West. Both teams are looking to get on track and stay afloat in the division with a win. At the beginning of the season, these teams were thought to be the cream of the crop in the SEC West, but at this point the losing team will surely be out of contention for the division title.

Alabama is coming off a close 14-13 win over second-class SEC opponents Arkansas. The offense has had its struggles and Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin needs to have the Crimson Tide offense ready to go. Star wide receiver Amari Cooper needs to have a big game and the running game has got to get going again. Alabama is best when they run the ball and it will make quarterback Blake Sims’ life a lot easier.

The road has been a little rocky for Texas A&M too. After losses to both Mississippi teams, questions have risen about quarterback Kenny Hill. He is going to be on the field tomorrow, but has to take care of the football and get a lot of help from his offensive line. If they want to beat Alabama, their young but talented defense is going to have to step up and shut down the Crimson Tide offense. Texas A&M has been kryptonite for Alabama in recent years and aren’t scared to go into Tuscaloosa and battle it out with another elite program.

My pick: Alabama

No. 14 Kansas State at No. 11 Oklahoma

Head Coaches Bill Snyder and Bob Stoops meet up once again and there is a lot on the line for their teams. The competition is tight in the Big-12 and a knockout stage playoff mentality is present in every match up in the conference. Oklahoma has no room for another loss, and Kansas State feels disrespected by the polls with their only loss coming from the Auburn Tigers. This game is going to be a chess match between two of the best coaches in college football.

Like Florida State, Oklahoma has had trouble with dual-threat quarterbacks so far this season. Both Trevone Boykin of TCU and Tryone Swoopes of Texas caused problems for the Sooner defense. Jake Waters is another quarterback in that some mold for Kansas State. Offensively, the Wildcats rely on Waters in the passing and running game. He is the leading rusher on the team with over 300 yards on the season but the offense is most dangerous when he can find receivers Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton in space. They are both elusive, big play-making receivers.

The Oklahoma defense is strong, but has not been at its best the past couple games against TCU and Texas.  Linebacker Eric Striker is going to need to contain Waters, while cornerback Zack Sanchez will need to play lockdown coverage against the Wildcats’ receivers. If the leaders on defense can play well and the unit can stay disciplined, Oklahoma could cause problems for Kansas State. To me, this game will be decided by the play of the Kansas State offense against the Oklahoma defense. But don’t get me wrong, Trevor Knight will have to be better than he was in the Red River Rivalry game against the Longhorns. I think he will be.

My pick: Oklahoma

No. 23 Stanford at No. 17 Arizona State

Along with seemingly every game this week, Stanford vs. Arizona State is huge in the conference standings. Stanford needs to keep pace with Oregon in the Pac-12 North while in the Pac-12 South, Arizona State can’t really afford a slip-up with USC and Arizona ahead of them.

The storyline here is simple, Arizona State’s high octane offense will have to beat the Stanford defense. They have the playmakers to do it in star wide receiver Jaelen Strong and running back D.J. Foster. The quarterback play has also been great by Mike Bercovici who has been filling in for Taylor Kelly. Kelly will play tomorrow but who knows at what capacity. Head Coach Todd Graham has admitted he does not even know how much Kelly will play. Whoever is under center tomorrow, they face a menacing Cardinal Defense.

Stanford boasts the best scoring defense in the nation at 10 points per game and are also the fourth best team against the pass only allowing 138.3 yards per game. They are a loaded, cohesive unit that is playing great football. The offense is a true pro-style system like we have grown used to seeing from Stanford. They are not flashy but seem to get it done to win games. If the defense can contain passing game of Arizona State, which I think it will, Stanford will win the game.

My pick: Stanford

Mississippi State of Mind

Six years ago, Dan Mullen left his position as the Offensive Coordinator of the Florida Gators and accepted his first head coaching job at Mississippi State. He wanted to turn the struggling program around and dreamt of a day when the Bulldogs were at the top of the SEC and college football. Even after three consecutive wins against AP top-10 opponents and earning the no. 1 spot in the AP top 25, You get the feeling this is just the start of something special for Dan Mullen and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

“I couldn’t be happier for the university, the students, the fans and the alumni,” Mullen said. “For so many years you try to accomplish something and to be able to say we’re the best at something is special. But for us as a team — they don’t give out the trophy midseason. We really haven’t accomplished all that much.”

Their season has been incredible so far. Starting the season as an unranked, unknown and undiscussed team, the Bulldogs are undefeated and on top of the SEC West with wins over LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn.They have moved up the rankings and created a reputation for themselves. Their powerful, explosive offense is turning heads and has a lot of people talking. Dak Prescott is an impressive dual-threat quarterback blossoming into a superstar and running back Josh Robinson is a punishing running back with a low center of gravity. They call him the bowling ball. These two have the Bulldog program on the forefront of college football and are ringing up win after win.

Dak Prescott may be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after the suspension of Georgia’s star running back Todd Gurley. Prescott is putting up very good numbers that compare with Heisman season numbers of Tebow, Newton, Manziel and Winston up to this point. He is definitely a special quarterback prospect. I like how he stands in the pocket and makes strong accurate throws but also knows when to tuck it and run. In the open field he is a physical runner who doesn’t stop for anything. He is the perfect quarterback for Mullen’s offensive system and is undoubtedly the key to success for the Bulldogs. Although he did not have his best game against Auburn, look for him to rebound against Kentucky after this week’s bye to put up some big numbers.

Despite the buzz surrounding the program, as Mullen reminded everyone, they have not won a trophy yet and the season is only 7 weeks in. Plus, they still face tough games away in Tuscaloosa and Oxford. Positively for the Bulldogs, Alabama certainly does not look up to its’ usual high standards after being upset by Ole Miss and barely beating SEC pushovers, Arkansas, by one point. You have to wonder if these past two weeks have just been a fluke for Alabama or if there are some serious weaknesses within this highly-heralded squad. Either way the Alabama game will be no cake walk for the Bulldogs.

Every year the Egg Bowl is a huge deal for college football fans…. in the state of Mississippi. I have never even watched this game in the past but this year I can’t wait for it. There is a strong chance that the two teams could meet up for the last game of the season with undefeated records. This could end up being an instant classic, the game of the year, just like last year’s Iron Bowl. Ole Miss still has Auburn left on their schedule but assuming they win and Mississippi State finds a way to beat Alabama, this game would determine the champion of the SEC West division. It will be Prescott and the explosive Mississippi State offense against the Ole Miss defense. The Rebels boast a special defense that could easily rain on the bulldogs’ parade. They attack the ball, tackle well and force turnovers. This is a  unit that only allows 11.8 points per game. There is a reason the rebels call themselves the “landsharks” on defense.

As a fan of college football, I love the traditions and pageantry of the game. It is great to see different programs having success in the SEC. It gets old seeing Alabama dominate the conference. So props to Mississippi State and even Ole Miss therefore in challenging the hierarchy of the SEC. What an awesome scene Starkville was on Saturday for the Bulldogs’ win against Auburn. There was plenty of cowbell on hand and the game day tailgate seemed to be one for the ages. It is great to see student-athletes achieve on-field success stemming from hard work and dedication. It is also great to see a head coach’s plan for success come to fruition for a university and community. He has put together a great team and is building a program that is destined for the national spotlight for years to come. For me, Mullen is the coach of the year thus far and his quarterback Dak Prescott is the top candidate for the Heisman. I’ll be looking forward to the Alabama game as well as the Egg Bowl.We will see if this team can hold out and make a run for the BCS Championship. Shout out to Mississippi State, my man Dan Mullen and Heisman hopeful Dak Prescott. Hail State!