Governor of New Mexico Asks Universities to Suspend Contact Sports

A new development further threatens college football at the same time another school makes a strong statement on playing.

On the same day University of Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte publicly stated that the Texas Longhorns were ready to go forward with a full 12-game season as scheduled, Geoff Grammer of The Albuquerque Journal is reporting that New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has asked schools in that state to suspend football season. 

Lujan-Grisham reportedly sent a letter on Tuesday "to the leadership of the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University strongly urging both to suspend contact sports this fall, including football and soccer." 

These two actions are in stark contrast to each other, and another indication of the uncertainty of the coming college football season. 

" In the letter reviewed Tuesday by the Journal, Lujan Grisham, who earlier this month ordered the New Mexico Activities Association to postpone all fall contact sports at the high school level until 2021, is now urging the governor-appointed regents and university leadership at UNM and NMSU to take similar steps. The letter states it is “critical that you postpone collegiate athletics in this moment of escalating danger,” saying there is potential they could be resumed in late 2020 or early 2021."

While there has been no official announcement from either university, the likelihood that they follow the request seems inevitable, as both boards of regent at New Mexico and New Mexico State are governor-appointed, according to Grammer. 

Also, according to Grammer, the governor's request comes with a rise in positive tests around the state. 

Should the two schools comply with the request, it would impact both Mississippi State and Florida, who have games scheduled this season with New Mexico and NMSU, respectively. 

Already the SEC has seen Alabama, Auburn, and Texas A&M see games lost due to moves by other conferences altering their schedules.

As of yet, there has been no impact to the Vanderbilt Commodores schedule, as all teams remain in place, but that is subject to change as things continue to develop as we move closer to the scheduled start of the season. 

Del Conte's statement is a strong one to be sure when a state with the football craziness and the number of college football programs that call Texas home can make that comment. 

That statement can also be seen as the Big-12 being committed to playing a full season as well. Likewise, the SEC and ACC are both in position to play a full season schedule at this time. 

Regardless of the moves to be made from New Mexico, we all continue to wait and see how this situation will ultimately unfold. 

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