Even when Aggies athletic director Mario Moccia sat down on the plane back home, the excitement from a possibly greatest victory in program history had not subsided from the New Mexico State locker room that was rocking and dancing at Jordan-Hare Stadium. After leaving Auburn, they had driven back to Columbus, Georgia, in order to catch their flight to Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Moccia took out his laptop, got his list of donors, and began sending emails as soon as he got on the plane. During the three hours and twenty-three-minute flight, he said he sent roughly fifty emails. Already, he has raised over $140,000.
In a phone conversation with AL.com, Moccia stated, “I’ve tried to launch the ‘Keep Jerry Kill Campaign,’ in case another suitor comes calling.” That’s what students at New Mexico State do. You are not granted access to Netflix. Even after a historic victory, you return to your work.
According to a copy of the contract for the game that AL.com was able to obtain through a public records request, those donations are in addition to the $1.85 million that Auburn paid New Mexico State to play this year. Even so, it wasn’t the largest payout for Auburn this season. The season-opener for Auburn received that payment of slightly less than $2 million: UMass
Every year, smaller schools like New Mexico State engage in these “money games.” They go to a big, wealthy program as heavy underdogs and leave with a sizable check in hand. These funds are frequently crucial for supporting the sports programs with smaller budgets.
And occasionally, David triumphs over Goliath.
After an unexpected 31-10 victory and some of the greatest momentum in the program’s history, New Mexico State left Auburn with a check. Historically, New Mexico State has been one of the worst college football programs. In Las Cruces, Moccia was a college football player. He mentioned that New Mexico State usually has one successful season every ten years. It has now had back-to-back winning seasons.
Given New Mexico State’s limited funding and public profile, these financial games are therefore vital to the program’s continued existence. According to Moccia, these matches help offset the expenses of the athletic department. Although it has started to narrow, New Mexico State’s operating deficit is still approximately $9.5 million, according to Moccia.
Like most sports programs across the nation, New Mexico State experiences an annual deficit.
The terms of New Mexico State’s 2019 trip to Auburn were settled upon. The budget of New Mexico State had long included that amount. The $1.85 million will ultimately support the school’s general athletics fund and be used as cash to finance different aspects of the athletic program.
Upgrades to the football program and facilities, as requested by head coach Jerry Kill, are among those goals, according to Moccia. Moccia met Kill, the head coach of Southern Illinois from 2001 to 2007, while he was the athletic director there from 2006 to 2014. Moccia claimed that upon arriving at New Mexico State, he informed Kill that he should contact him first if there was ever a chance to fill the position of head football coach.
One of the first things Kill pushed for when he was hired by New Mexico State in 2022 was a nutrition program on par with larger FBS programs. That’s still being worked on, Moccia stated.
Kill also suggested that New Mexico State limit its annual money game play to one. According to Moccia, New Mexico State typically plays two games a season. Kill thought the team’s chances of finishing with a better record would improve if one of those games were removed from the schedule. This comes after New Mexico State faced Missouri, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in three money games in the previous season.
