bleedCrimson.net will be conducting a monthy Q&A with NMSU Athletics Director McKinley Boston. In this month's interview Associate AD Steve Macy fills in for a traveling Dr. Boston. Steve discusses NMSU's focus on diversity, the recent disbursement from the WAC as well as a couple of football game day traditions.

bleedCrimson.net:Last month the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC) finalized a proposal that would hold the NCAA's membership accountable for following institutional hiring procedures. The proposal still needs to be sponsored by appropriate bodies in each division. And recently the NMSU athletics department was recognized by the NCAA for their diversity strategy in Racial Diversity. Can you talk a little bit about that award and what has made NMSU so successful in promoting diversity?
Steve Macy: Diversity is one of the staples and principles that we operate under through the athletic department. It's part of our overall strategic plan and quite frankly part of our mission statement to provide a work environment that is diverse and fair in every way shape and form. It's a great area of emphasis for Dr. Boston and for the rest of us on staff. We're proud of the award and hope we continue to receive awards because it's a good barometer of what we're doing as a department and how we're following through on that strategic plan.

bc.net: Can you explain the recent disbursement check from the WAC and how the amount that was given to NMSU was determined?
SM: Having been at one time the business manager in the WAC office I understand how this process works. Essentially when it comes to the cost and the revenue side of the year end distribution it's a net that is reported. For New Mexico State any type of expenses or payouts that we owed as part of hosting both volleyball and men's and women's basketball, rather than passing checks back and forth between the WAC and NMSU they handled it as part of our end of the year distribution. So yes, the total amount was lower than what everybody else had but remember that all the revenues that were derived from both volleyball and basketball stayed here as well. So that distribution number that was advertised is really a misnomer and quite frankly doesn't mean a whole lot.

bc.net: Was the WAC men's and women's tennis championship also a part of that?
SM: No. There's no revenues with that and that's not a bid. Only certain tournaments or certain championships within the WAC are tournaments or championships that are bid on. Volleyball and basketball both are. Tennis is on a rotational basis as are things like cross country which we host next year. Those are just rotated among the members. They have to have minimum criteria but it's not a bidding process.

bc.net: Last season the football game day flags were not flown along Payne and Stewart Street and some fans mentioned that it looked a little bare. Will the flags be flown this season?
SM : Yes and no. Those are owned by the university and we actually talked about this a little bit today in terms of when there would be some availability to use those locations for promotion of games. It's mostly being used for promoting the University because that's what it's for. The Tough Enough To Wear Pink game will get some time on there, Homecoming will get some time on there and other than that we're not going to have access to those light pole banners.

bc.net: The band has a tradition of walking down Payne Street into Aggie Memorial and last season they didn't do that last season. Will the band resume that tradition this season?
SM: We are working with the band director on the best location for the band to stage from a parking perspective and a parade route for them to go to the game. It's definitely on our radar and we're just working on a parade route.