On May 20, the University of New Mexico Board of Regents approved a $45 increase in student fees per semester next year and an additional $60, totaling $105 per semester for undergraduates in two years, to fund UNM Athletics for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years.
The fee increase is expected to address the athletics funding gaps between UNM and peer universities in the Mountain West Conference, according to a Board of Regents meeting summary document.
There is a $15 million gap between UNM and the average athletic budgets of other universities participating in the Mountain West and Pac-12, according to a presentation by UNM Athletics included within the document.
In addition to the increased student fees, the UNM athletic department was allocated $11.5 million from the state legislature. This constitutes a $3.1 million increase from the $8.4 million allotment in 2024.
The increased student fees will help fund UNM Olympic sports that have been underfunded, Fernando Lovo, UNM Director of Athletics said.
“We’ve seen inflationary costs for nutrition, athletic training support, mental health support and then just the general cost of a scholarship. We have not matched those costs financially over the last three or four years,” Lovo said.
Student fees fund mental health servcies for student athletics, according to the document.
“Student athletes are driving in vans back from Las Vegas. That’s a long drive and student athletes are missing classes and exhausted when they show up. Our ability to protect their mental health and keep them competing at the highest level depends on these investments.”, Lovo said.
Thant Htet Oo, a UNM student and a videographer for Lobo Athletics, believes this investment is important because having a “winning school” attracts more students, he said.
“Academics are important. But to get more funding for different academic programs we need more students. And what do students look for? They love coming to a winning school,” Htet Oo said.
UNM will get more NIL deals and “keep our school a winning school” if the university keeps its talented athletes, Htet Oo said.
Megan Gayle Santos, a UNM student, is concerned that the increase in student fees is too steep, she said.
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“A slower increase would have been more mindful of the students,” Santos said.
UNM Athletics originally proposed a student fee increase of $60 dollars next year, and an additional $60 the following year, an addtional $15 more per semester than the approved plan, according to the document.
“An additional investment in athletics is not something every student benefits from, because not everyone uses the services that UNM athletics provides,” Santos said. “I can pay for it, but there are other things I’d rather pay for.”
Santos was also concerned about students from marginalized communities, for whom a student fee increase could be far more significant, Santos said.
“Not everyone is eligible for the lottery or opportunity scholarship,” Santos said.
The “additional burden” of increased student fees for athletics should not be placed on students, Santos said.
Student fees should go towards a more diverse array of causes supporting students from minority backgrounds during a particularly tense political climate, Santos said.
Although UNM athletics is not the most important part of UNM, it is the most visible, Lovo said.
“We’ve seen an incredible amount of growth in our self-generated revenues. This year we broke $4 million in ticket revenue for basketball for the first time. We’ve set records in fundraising every year. But it’s going to take all of us to ensure that we’re funding athletics to the level where we can keep New Mexicans proud,” Lovo said.
Shin Thant Hlaing is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
