The University of New Mexico Board of Regents voted again Friday to cut four sports teams at the university because of lack of funding and a lack of equal opportunity for women athletes.
More than 50 people gave comments for more than two and a half hours at the UNM regents’ meeting, but the board voted again to cut men’s soccer, men’s and women’s skiing and women’s beach volleyball.
Regents did decide to reinstate women’s diving. Julie Weddle is the UNM women’s dive coach.
“It’s still painful, for all of us, I mean we all feel the effects, I don't know if there’s ever a win-win with stuff like this,” Weddle said after the meeting Friday.
Regents could have postponed their decision to see if lawmakers would provide more funding in January, but UNM President Garnett Stokes said leaving the future of the athletes in question wasn’t fair.
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas had said earlier this month the regents’ first vote to cut the sports in July violated the state’s open meetings laws.