Unlike Idaho, New Mexico State staying FBS

The Aggies plan to remain in the top tier of college football in 2018 and beyond, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

The future of the program has been in doubt after the Sun Belt voted not to extend football membership to New Mexico State and Idaho after 2017.

Idaho announced last week it’s moving to the FCS Big Sky in 2018. Regents chair Debra Hicks said money was a determining factor in the decision to move forward as an independent football program.

“Idaho just happened, and that has created a firestorm,” Hicks said in the Sun-News. “We have student-athletes who are very interested in what they are playing in the next few years. That was a critical decision that needed to be made so that everyone has a confident feeling about that while we really look at conference alignment.”

This story was originally published May 5, 2016 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Unlike Idaho, New Mexico State staying FBS."