NMSU has one option for making a real difference financially and that is the MWC and that doesn't look likely.

I think the Big Sky would probably welcome them but the travel won't be reduced enough for any significant savings.

The Southland might shave some of their costs but I can't see the Southland agreeing to go that far west.

The Valley would produce no savings.

Only thing other than status quo that makes any sense is joining the Valley and dropping football OR joining the Valley and just accepting that football won't experience any big savings as an FCS. But if they can get in the Valley, staying Sun Belt football only makes more sense than playing MVFC football.

I've thought this thing over from a bunch of angles and the only "drop football" scenario I've come up with that seems plausible would be if NMSU joined the Valley for everything except football and the Sun Belt were to have a change of heart and extend a full membership offer which was rejected by NMSU that then resulted in NMSU being booted from the Sun Belt.

Maybe then NMSU would say the heck with it, but nothing else makes sense.

Otherwise