New Mexico Gov. Urges Colleges to Delay Contact Sports

The governor of New Mexico is urging the major state universities to suspend contact sports this fall.

The Albuquerque Journal acquired a copy of governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Tuesday letter asking the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University to adjust their sports schedules.

“The tight-knit communities in which our schools operate will be at risk if the virus is given the opportunity to take root,” Lujan Grisham’s letter reads. “Sports, especially contact sports, are unsafe at this point in time for that very reason; they are a risk we cannot afford to take given how many people would be endangered by the inevitable spread of COVID-19 in these environments.

“I know what I am asking you to contemplate is difficult and unprecedented, but these are difficult and unprecedented times. Fighting COVID-19 is a team sport. I am asking each of you to join me and take it upon yourselves to do everything you can to fight COVID-19. Together we can protect all New Mexicans, and if we are successful, we can resume contact sports and re-engage in the camaraderie and joy they bring all of us in a safe manner as soon as we can.”

Lujan Grisham, who said she’s concerned about the rising number of cases in the 20- to 39-year-old age group, left open the possibility for returning to contact sports later in the year or early in 2021.

Neither university has acted yet. The Western Athletic Conference, of which NMSU is a member, suspended all sports until at least mid-September, while the Mountain West Conference, which UNM is part of, hasn’t made any major announcements.

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UNM sent the Albuquerque Journal a joint statement from president Garnett Stokes and athletic director Eddie Nuñez, saying “The health and well-being of our student athletes and our Lobo community is, first and foremost, our top consideration in how we approach our fall athletic programs. Equally important is ensuring student academic success. We have been in regular communication with the Governor’s office over the past several months, and we sincerely appreciate the guidance her office has provided as we have worked on our plans for fall sports. We expect discussions with the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference to continue over the next couple of weeks as plans for the fall are finalized.”

NMSU responded to the Albuquerque Journal in a similar fashion.

“We are actively monitoring this ever-changing landscape with regard to intercollegiate athletics and following the decisions being made by the NCAA, the conferences, and other associated bodies,” an NMSU spokesman wrote an email. “We are also in continuous conversation with health experts in the state and on our campus. While we have not yet made any decisions with regard to altering our fall schedule, our commitment is to do what’s best for our student athletes and our programs.”

Lujan Grisham is working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at all levels, also announcing earlier this month that all high school contact sports have been suspended until 2021. The state currently has a 14-day travel quarantine for anyone entering the state.

“Those tough decisions, no matter how complex or how popular, must be made,” Lujan Grisham wrote to UNM and NMSU.

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