August 16, 2007
It has been a while since I have checked in with Lobo Fans. There is great energy and excitement on campus. Both men's and women's soccer teams, football, and volleyball teams have begun practices, with cross country to begin shortly. Our other teams are coming back to campus and are ready to get started with workouts and classes.
While not totally completed, the indoor practice facility has been cleared for our use in case of inclement weather. Total occupancy should be approved within the next several weeks.
Season ticket sales for football are ahead of last year's pace and the Lobo Club just finished a record fund drive. All of these events and accomplishments point to greater energy and excitement as we begin a new academic year.
One piece of news that is not as positive is in relation to the last fiscal year's budget. You may have seen in the Albuquerque Journal on Wednesday, August 15, a story regarding the Board of Regents' meeting. In this article it was stated that Athletics will finish the year with a $1.8 million budget deficit. I want to assure all Lobo Fans and Alumni that this is simply NOT the case. While I am disappointed that we didn't end the fiscal year with a balanced budget, the actual budget deficit is $288,000. The goal and the expectation is that we will finish with a balanced budget every year and rightly so. However, there were some one-time expenses and unanticipated facility expenditures that affected our operating budget this past fiscal year.
Finally, Lobo activities begin in earnest this weekend with the Alumni Volleyball Game on Saturday, August 18, at 7:00 p.m. in the Johnson Center. Football's Fan Photo Day is also on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at University Stadium. The women's soccer team has two exhibition matches scheduled for this weekend, Friday at 4:00 pm and Saturday at 3:00 pm at the UNM Soccer Complex.
I hope to see you at a Lobo Event this Fall! Go Lobos!!
