It suck that NMSU has such a bad football program. NMSU has left just about every conference because of football. They left the Missouri Valley because the conference did not meet the D1A requirements of the time. All D1A teams were required to have a 30,000-seat football stadium and average 17,000 attendance at least once every four years. Most of the Missouri Valley members played in stadiums about 1/2 or 2/3 the size of Aggie Memorial Stadium. NMSU then joined the PCAA. But it didn't take long for many of the California schools to drop football because of financial constraints. The PCAA then (Big West now) add schools that had out grown the Big Sky Conference... Nevada, Boise State, Idaho to continue football. But as the WAC grew in stature and size, they started plucking away Big West schools. Eventually, the Big West had to turn the chapter on FBS football. As that happened, NMSU was fortunate that the Sun Belt Commissioner (Wright Waters) had the idea to start up FBS football in his conference. NMSU had a new home again. Then the WAC imploded due to over growth. And Mr. Peanut Karl Benson came looking for new members. Again NMSU jumped west and joined the WAC (big mistake). Of course we know what happened to the WAC. In an irony, Benson became the Commissioner of the SBC after Waters retired. He threw a life line to NMSU (and Idaho) only to sever it when it no longer served his purpose. Benson played a major factor in NMSU football path. Now, Benson is retired. And, with major changes to TV contracts coming and the presence of COVID19, which is draining conference coffers as we speak, we will see what doors might open (and close) for NMSU football.