By Jeff Geiser, director of Athletics
Please consider the following when deciding how you will vote on the stadium issue:
Point #1: Comparison between old and new
- Our current stadium is 45 years old, is in need of serious renovation and is inconveniently located. There are no elevators, poor restrooms and small, overcrowded locker rooms. The playing surface is natural grass, making Eastern New Mexico University the only university in
New Mexico and in the Lone Star Conference that has not evolved to synthetic turf. It will take $1.5 million to bring it up to a marginal acceptance standard. - Greyhound Stadium is one dimensional and only used on average 10-12 times a year; five or six home games for ENMU and the same for Portales High School.
- The new stadium will be a multipurpose facility with an artificial playing surface that will be used daily by ENMU football, track and field, and other varsity teams. The Greyhound Sound Marching Band will rehearse in the facility. Physical Education classes and intramurals also will utilize the facility. The Portales School District and the community also will use it.
Point #2: The students
- A stadium on campus will serve our most important stakeholders, our students.
- The new stadium will allow students to have more functions at home events.
- Home athletic events will become a larger part of the social fabric at ENMU.
- Those who reside on or near campus can walk to football games, track meets, and soccer matches. The attendance at home games will increase, and this will help improve school spirit.
Point #3: The football program
- As members of the LSC, we recruit against Texas institutions, all of which have modern, up-to-date stadiums. We only get one chance at a first impression, and our current stadium fails in this regard. This is having a negative effect on recruiting.
Point #4: The men’s and women’s track and field programs
- The stadium will be a significant asset to our men’s and women’s track and field programs. Our current track has only seven lanes. This does not allow us to host an “official” competition.
Point #5: Other sports
- The new stadium will be lined for soccer, allowing both men’s and women’s programs the opportunity to play on turf or play at night. A new facility on campus also will enhance recruiting efforts of other sports.
Point #6: The Greyhound Sound marching band
- The Greyhound Sound practices on a small grass field at the intersection of University and Avenue O. Having a stadium on campus will allow them to rehearse daily on a permanently lined turf field.
- Currently, the members of the band have to report to Blackwater Draw three hours prior to kickoff because the LSC requires the football playing field to be made available for warm-ups by both teams 90 minutes prior to game time. This requires the band members to rehearse then sit in the stands waiting for pre-game activities to begin.
- In contrast, envision a stadium on campus and on game day watching the Greyhound Sound marching from the music building and making a grand entrance into the new stadium.
Point #7: The community
- Because the location of the new stadium will be visible from Highway 70, the stadium will become a source of community pride. It will become a showcase for our university and provide a large boost to our local economy.
- With a new stadium on campus, ENMU could attract a New Mexico all-star game for either football or soccer. High school playoff games also could be played in the facility. We also could host high school district track meets.
Point #8: What is the only downside for our students?
- We are asking our students to fund a maximum amount of $4 million dollars. This equates to $40 per semester or $10 a month for a full-time student. Part-time students will pay $3.33 per credit hour. This is the only negative. However, even with this small increase, ENMU will remain as one of the most affordable public institutions in the Southwest region.
Point #9: The Time Is Now
- The Time Is Now for our students to make history and do something positive for our university, to help us fund a facility that will be the pride of Eastern thereby helping us to move ENMU forward. On behalf of our student-athletes, coaches, alumni and fans, I ask for your support.