UTEP looking forward to upcoming move to Mountain West Conference, unveils new fan initiatives and fundraising goals
· Yahoo Sports
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A new era for UTEP is just days away.
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On July 1, 2026, UTEP will officially become a member of the Mountain West Conference, ending a 21-year run in Conference USA and marking one of the most significant moments in the history of the athletics department.
The Miners have only changed conferences three times in school history — in 1967, 2005 and now 2026.
UTEP celebrated its upcoming move on Friday with a special event at the Larry K. Durham Hall of Champions. University President Dr. Heather Wilson, Athletic Director Jim Senter, head coaches, donors — including prominent El Paso businessman Paul L. Foster — were in attendance.
One of the biggest announcements from the event was a $2.5 million gift to UTEP Athletics from Paul and Alejandra Foster.
University leaders also unveiled several new initiatives designed to enhance the fan experience beginning this fall. Giveaway items will be instituted for all six ticketed sports, including five of six football home games. In-game fireworks will be returning for football. The home opener versus Texas Southern (Sept. 12) will feature post-game fireworks, and the Homecoming game against Oregon State (Sept. 26) will include a post-game drone show. The football game promotions will tie in with the Mountain West opponent (i.e., ‘Miner Lu’au’ for the Hawai’i game), and campus concessionaire Sodexo will have special food offerings for each contest that correspond with the game theme.
Football season ticket holders will receive a commemorative Mountain West item. A new football tailgating experience will be unveiled on Glory Field, and a new family section is also being implemented, where youth 12 and under get in free.
Athletics officials also emphasized the importance of continued fan and donor support as college athletics is in the midst of the revenue-sharing era.
“It’s like the culmination of a lot of work that everybody’s been involved in,” UTEP Director of Athletics Jim Senter said. “It takes a village to get to a place like this, and now we’re here. Well, it’s going to take a village for us to get to another level if we want to be successful and compete for and win championships.”
One of the department’s top priorities is growing the Miner Athletic Club, the primary fundraising arm of UTEP Athletics. University leaders announced a goal of increasing the number of Miner Athletic Club donors from 1,750 to 2,500 over the next three years.
UTEP also plans to expand its Gold Standard Giving Society from 70 to 100 members. Members of the Gold Standard Giving Society commit at least $30,000 to the Miner Athletic Club over a three-year period, according to the Miner Athletic Club website.
Another major objective is increasing season ticket sales across all sports. UTEP hopes to grow its number of season ticket holders from 8,500 to 10,500 during its first three years in the Mountain West.
As UTEP prepares for its first season in the Mountain West, university leaders believe the move will provide renewed rivalries, new financial opportunities, a more travel-friendly schedule and increased national visibility for the Miners.
“We actually worked really hard to put ourselves in a position so that when the opportunity came, we were the preferred school to join the Mountain West,” UTEP president Heather Wilson said on Friday. “It’s a much better fit for us. It’s going to bring a lot more fun back to the fan experience that we just really didn’t have the Conference USA.”
“It’s one of the best conferences in college basketball,” UTEP men’s basketball head coach Joe Golding said. “Great players, great coaches, great venues, great competition, and players want to be a part of that and the Mountain West gives you the opportunity to do that.”
UTEP officially joins the Mountain West on July 1.
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