The sports world is talking about the University of New Mexico football team this week — and not because it has a nationally televised game against Boise State tonight. .
A report that UNM has hired an outside party to investigate claims that head coach Bob Davie mistreated his players has reverberated across national sports media.
The University of New Mexico confirmed it is looking into the Athletics Department but would not provide any details about the investigation.
The Wednesday report from freelance journalist Daniel Libit has been picked up by ESPN, NBCSports.com, Deadspin, Sporting News and many others.
Libit’s report cites multiple unnamed sources “apprised of the investigation.” UNM will not confirm any investigation that is specific to Davie.
“I can confirm there is an investigation underway in Athletics. We are not going to comment on the details or the individuals involved until the investigation is complete,” UNM spokeswoman Cinnamon Blair said in a written statement.
Reached by the Journal late Wednesday, Davie refused to comment.
On his website, NMFishbowl.com, Libit writes that sources told him UNM is “looking into specific claims of player mistreatment, as well as allegations about the athlete drug-testing process being compromised.” According to his report, the investigation came after spring exit interviews with athletes.
An athletic department spokesman deferred to Blair’s statement, and the president of the school’s Board of Regents did not return Journal messages seeking comment.
The current and former chairs of the Faculty Senate Athletic Council, which conducts the athlete exit interviews, did not immediately respond to emailed questions Wednesday.
Former Lobo cornerback Nias Martin, who played 13 games in 2016, told the Journal via Twitter that he didn’t experience mistreatment from Davie and didn’t see former teammates mistreated.
The Journal has a pending public records request with UNM seeking contracts with outside investigators exploring claims against UNM coaches.
UNM’s game at Boise State will air on ESPN — the network where Davie previously worked as a broadcaster.
Davie has a particularly high national profile given his prior TV work and a previous coaching stint at the University of Notre Dame.
The Journal’s Rick Wright contributed to this report.
