Written By: Steve Macy, NM State Associate Athletic Director

I have been trying to stay out of this and keep my mouth (and fingers) shut on this issue, but I think it is too important to ignore.

During most of the season, I read and heard people disparaging the men’s basketball program, and especially Head Coach Marvin Menzies. Even the Sun News Sports Editor, Teddy Feinberg, took a swing at Coach Menzies, saying that since he took over, the program has been spiraling downward. The attacks on Coach Menzies and the program were at times viscous, but always consistent. Those attacks continued up until the WAC Tournament.

Forward ahead by three weeks and the Aggies season is over, with a WAC Tournament Championship and a near-miss in the NCAA Tourney against nationally-ranked Michigan State. You would expect these same people who spent so much time and energy disparaging the program and the coach to admit they perhaps they were quick to judge, or maybe they were wrong. But, no.

What are we hearing instead? Really, it is two things:  Continue Reading This Post >>

Editor's Note: This entry was written yesterday afternoon

Written By: Steve Macy, NM State Associate Athletic Director

I am excited about watching tonight’s game at Fresno State on AggieVision. Fresno State is one of the few teams in the league that can match our athleticism, so it is always a tough assignment. I also hope we continue our winning ways to make a dent in the attendance issue we have been having.

I spent most of the day on Tuesday talking to various people in the community. Some go to games; some do not. I was trying to get a better sense of what is keeping fans away. It was a long list and some mentioned several things, some mentioned one or two.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: Steve Macy
NM State Associate Athletic Director

So now that the men’s team is 4-1 in league play, are we prepared as fans to get behind this team? The Sun News sports editor wrote a particularly nasty opinion piece about the state of Aggie men’s basketball and it specifically pointed the finger at Coach Menzies.

I am waiting on the opinion piece to be written that states that team has improved and is playing well. I thought about holding my breath awaiting that type of opinion piece, but decided the headache from passing out would not be worth it. That is too bad (the opinion piece being written, not me passing out).

I like this team. They are fun to watch. They play with passion. There are guys all over the floor after loose balls and the offense seems to be playing in rhythm. I believe that pieces are in place for a great run to the WAC Tourney and hopefully, the NCAA Tourney.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: Steve Macy
NM State Associate Athletic Director

I had written a short blog on Wednesday morning and then found out the announcement was coming, so I did not send it out. However, the text of those thoughts is still germane to the type of person we have at the helm of the Aggie football program. What I had written is below.

The past several days have seen a flurry of discussions about Coach Walker and his future with the Aggies. While I have no idea what the future will hold, I do know that over the past 12 months, I have had a lot of dealings with Coach. At no time has he ever mislead me or told me something that wasn’t true.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: Steve Macy, NM State Associate Athletic Director

It has been a long, strange road over the past two years. On July 13th, I celebrated my two-year anniversary at NM State. No fanfare… No cake… and certainly, no parade. These first two years on the job have been exciting to say the least.

As you may have seen in news reports and quotes from Dr. Boston, athletics has undergone a significant financial change over the past several months. Quite frankly, it has been a challenge that I have endured since stepping on campus. The financial aspects of the marketing and promotion of Aggie athletics has been a moving target, but all the moves will lead to a long-term stable and secure future. Some of the changes we have made that are designed to have long-term positive effects include:  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: Steve Macy, NM State Associate Athletic Director

For many in athletics, the summer time is a time for vacations and relation. What most don’t know, is that for coaches and administrators, the in-season times are full of 70-90 hour work weeks and sleepless nights. For us in marketing, the summer is not a time to relax and re-charge, but to prepare.

The summer is the busiest selling part of the year. Whether it is tickets for fall sports, sponsorships for the coming year, or trade agreements aimed at reducing budgetary costs, the summer is a very busy time. We have over 100 companies that we have a contractual relationship with over the course of the academic year. Some of these are on multiple-year deals, but many are annual. Each of these deals needs to be re-visited and re-negotiated. We have agreements with various companies from radio network partners, AggieVision affiliates, food, automobile, hotel, bank, etc.   Continue Reading This Post >>

Some of you may have seen the tagline at the bottom of the last blog. This is the new branding initiative that we are working on here at NM State athletics. We ran through the Every Day is Game Day campaign without hitting the mark as well as I would have liked to see. Not a failure, but certainly less than optimal.

The We Are All Crimson campaign will be focused on using Aggie athletics as a unifying point for the entire Las Cruces region. We have an amazingly diverse population not only amongst different races, but also in terms of the age brackets. Whether you are old, Hispanic, female, or any other way you distinguish yourself, being Crimson and an Aggie fan unites us all.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: Steve Macy, NM State Associate Athletic Director

Last week, I received the final 2009 softball ticket sales numbers. I was pleased not only because of the 95% revenue increase over 2008, but also because we are growing the sport. I expect baseball numbers to be up as well.

This bucks the national trend of decreased spending on entertainment that many sports teams have been dealing with over the past several months. We are not immune to economic conditions, but certainly the entertainment value found at Aggie athletic events is slotted at the right price point. The quality of the teams certainly helps as well.

In football, I have written about the dramatic pricing structure changes. We made vast changes in season ticket prices and in single-game prices. We did it differently that you would see anywhere else. We had some hard decisions to make to change buying behaviors and the numbers are telling me that we made the right choice.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: Steve Macy, NM State Associate Athletic Director

Last time I wrote about the season ticket pricing. Is it sinking in that buying season tickets saves 60% over buying individual tickets? Perhaps. There has been a decent flood of new season tickets that has jumped into the fray and there are many who are taking advantage of sitting at midfield and having a Chairback. So, that is good news.

The Spring Game is this Saturday. While I am suffering through my second bout of Strep throat this calendar year (I know…. Poor me), I am still excited about the Spring Game. As it has been in the past, the game is free of charge and if you like to watch movies on the big screen, you will also be treated to the Jim Carey film Yes Man after the game.

That’s not all. Other events planned for the day:  Continue Reading This Post >>

By Steve Macy, NM State Associate Athletic Director

Will the pricing structure change sink in? That is the question that we have been kicking around as staff here the past couple of weeks. Do people realize the extreme difference between buying a single-game versus the season ticket costs?

The advertising has been out there and the explanation in the season ticket renewals was extensive, but I am still not sure it has sunk in with most folks. Everyone needs to grasp this, because it makes a big difference in how much you will pay to see the new-look Aggies.

Let’s break it down…..  Continue Reading This Post >>