NMSU Men’s Basketball to Relocate to Phoenix For Next Five Weeks

Get ready for the Phoenix Aggies. NMSU announced today that their men's basketball team will relocate to Phoenix, Arizona for the next five weeks and practice at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa. The total cost for the move will be $78,000 over the five-week period, which includes the rooms, practice floor and other facilities, COVID testing, and disinfection.

NMSU Director of Athletics Mario Moccia met the media in a 3 p.m. Zoom call today and got emotional when he started talking about the importance of his student athletes being able to practice and play. He also gave all credit to Nikki Balich and the Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission, who put this entire package together in only four days.

Moccia told the media that NMSU pays $20,000 per month to rent the Pan American Center, and they will be able to apply that savings towards the Phoenix move. He also said that the university will soon release other initiatives to help offset the cost of the stay. Should the Aggies need more time in Phoenix, they will be able to extend their arrangement with the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa.

As for the schedule, the team still wants to play all four rivalry games against UTEP and UNM. However, NMSU is still looking to finalize a basketball venue in Phoenix where they could play their "home" games until they return to Las Cruces. The NMSU women's basketball team will be practicing in Tucson and then coming back to Las Cruces to play their schedule, which is slated to begin next Wednesday afternoon at the Don Haskins Center against UTEP.