Hounds in holding pattern

PORTALES — With one successful season in the books for Eastern New Mexico University and Portales in their new on-campus Greyhound Stadium, the stadium at Blackwater Draw has now gone a full football season with no games played.

Whether one looks at tailgating, record attendance, big wins by the Greyhounds or a state championship by the Rams, the new stadium located in Portales has been a success after its inaugural season. While no one is begging to head back the 'the Draw,' many in the surrounding communities are curious what exactly will become of the old concrete behemoth between Clovis and Portales.

Suggestions for the stadium range from a rodeo arena to a racetrack. Don Elder, the voice of the Greyhounds on radio and a long time community member, said, "We could use the stadium for cross training. The home bleachers have more steps than any other facility on the High Plains, I would imagine."

Weekly columnist for the Eastern New Mexico News and longtime ENMU employee Wendel Sloan suggested, "Monster truck or tractor pulls and demolition derbies."

While these ideas would bring an interesting aspect to life around these parts, there are no plans to turn the stadium into any form of entertainment. Currently, the school is still in the infancy of moving deciding what to do with Blackwater Draw Stadium.

Scott Smart,the school's vice president and head of business affairs, said, "We have an appraisal being developed for the stadium and about 10 acres immediately surrounding it. Once we receive this, we will be advertising the stadium and land for sale."

Talks are ongoing with the ENMU athletic department and physical plant about salvaging some pieces of the stadium — such as the lights and scoreboard for use at other facilities at the university or perhaps a local high school, but ENMU Athletic Director Greg Waggoner said nothing has been formalized.

For now? The stadium sits vacant of greyhounds, though a few dozen resident cows are being allowed to graze the area.