LAS CRUCES, N.M. � Calling all New Mexico State fans. Your team has the munchies and you can help.

In a twist on Little League moms lining up after-game treats, New Mexico State�s budget-conscious football staff distributed an e-mail this week asking fans to donate after-practice or late-night snacks for hungry players.
It�s a consequence of the national economy, of course.
�It�s a decision we had to make with regard to our meals,� first-year coach DeWayne Walker said Thursday. �There are a lot of other areas where we have to make tough choices with how we�re going to spend our money.�
Athletic director McKinley Boston said regents directed him to trim $1.5 million from the department�s budget, dropping the overall operations figure to about $17 million for the current academic year.
�Obviously, I passed some of that on to all of our athletic programs, including football,� Boston said.
That was the bad news. The good news for Walker and his players has been the community�s response. The memo went out after the first day of practice, and six donors wasted no time before they ponied up.
We�re not talking about Cheetos here.
�It�s good stuff like trail mix or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,� linebacker Jamar Cotton said. �We had a guy bring in a bunch of watermelons. That was great. The team was excited. It was like little kids getting lollypops.�
The snacks might seem like a luxury to outsiders but players say they�re helpful during preseason two-a-days, when the temperature is high and the demanding practices seem endless.
And, no surprise here, young men get hungry. The Aggies eat dinner at 6 p.m., then sit through meetings until 9:30. By the time they tuck themselves in for bed, their stomachs are rumbling again.
�We practice so hard. We�ve got to get some extra stuff in the belly after dinner,� running back Tonny Glynn said. �It�s been really hot every day. We�re losing weight from all the workouts.�
Offensive lineman Mike Grady said it makes things easier the following day, a way to keep the energy up.
�Definitely, it helps to go to bed with something in your stomach,� he said.
The school is also publicizing an Aug. 25 banquet featuring the football and volleyball teams. Tickets are $50 per person or $600 a table, but Walker characterized that event as �more your typical fundraiser.�
Walker declined to disclose how much was trimmed from his program�s budget, but noted that New Mexico State�s number is �a lot different� than at UCLA, where he was defensive coordinator the past three seasons.
He expressed concern that people outside New Mexico might see the team�s request for snacks as juvenile.
The reality, Walker said, is that the Aggies are in the same position as many schools, forced to make tough choices this season.
�Everyone�s taking cuts,� he said. �I don�t want anybody to read into it that we�re the poorest program in the country. We�re not. And we�re not the only midlevel school that has to go through these kinds of issues.�