ENMU AD updates regents

PORTALES — In what was likely the last sports update for the foreseeable future, Eastern New Mexico University Athletic Director Matt Billings reported some hiccups but overall good feelings about student-athletes being back on campus for the first time since the pandemic began.

The morning address to the board of regents by Billings preceded a state shelter in place order for two weeks that does not include exceptions for sports practices.

Billings said since programs came back to campus, starting with basketball, the athletic department had conducted 266 tests and had 10 positive cases. The positive cases and the quarantines required two programs be put on hold, and Billings noted he and other athletic staff are providing the student-athletes with groceries. He did not indicate which programs were on hold.

Billings credited his staff, particularly Head Athletic Trainer Hailey Parker, on how the programs have largely navigated the last few weeks.

Regent Dan Patterson wished Billings good luck, noting even the best decisions would find some way to backfire.

Other regents supported Billings, while noting the outlook wasn’t good with the pandemic.

“I think it’s important the board support our athletic director,” Board President Terry Othick said. “He is acting for the best interests of the students’ health. There’s a lot of people who want sports come hell or high water. Given the explosion in cases, we just as a university can’t let our guard down and succumb … when there are more important things.”

Regent Ed Tatum said there should be some indication of serious issues when an Alabama-Louisiana State football game gets postponed, and Regent Lance Pyle noted the test positivity rate in Roosevelt County is triple the state’s gating criteria of 5%.

Earlier in the meeting, Greyhound Club President Charles Bennett addressed the board, and said he didn’t see strong advocacy to get student-athletes or students back on campus. He pointed to a conversation he had basketball coaches elsewhere in the Lone Star Conference that indicated the Greyhounds missed an opportunity the NCAA provided to practice in July. Bennett didn’t want to throw anybody under the bus, but encouraged a viewpoint of the glass being half full.

“I know we’re going through some extremely difficult times,” Bennett said. “Everything is definitely the first time we’ve been in this situation.”

Patterson said nobody wants athletics back more than he does, but said there were realities the college had to consider. He noted two of his grandchildren play college basketball and are in preseason practices, but one is currently in a quarantine and the other is just leaving a quarantine.

Bennett did tell regents there was significant progress on renovations at Lewis Cooper Arena, including a full kitchen for the concession stand that was acquired from a Carl’s Jr. that went belly up less than year after opening.