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Influential El Pasoans should push hard for UTEP's admittance into the Mountain West Conference. Sell UTEP -- plus El Paso --to conference members. UTEP officials either are not trying to move this city up in the collegiate athletics world, don't think they can compete favorably in the MWC, or have been told by the MWC to just buzz off. In any case, UTEP or the MWC would not be expected to comment if there's a push going on or not. These things are all behind-the-scenes stuff. There's no transparency, nor can there be. You don't announce which teams you've invited to join your league, and then name the schools you didn't choose. You don't embarrass people in that way. But since UTEP isn't saying anything, either way, one can wonder if the university is even trying. So, this push for MWC membership could be a job for our new mayor, County Judge Veronica Escobar and the city swells who make up the Paso del Norte Group. That's some oomph. Of course, UTEP President Diana Natalicio and Athletic Director Bob Stull would have to back the effort. We're making too many positive strides in this city not to have our school in a healthy athletic situation. The Miners are our "major league" franchise. They're our Dallas Cowboys, our New York Yankees, our LA Lakers. We're bringing in Triple-A baseball in 2014. We've approved construction of a new multi-use arena. Our Downtown is getting a good spiff-up. A fourth large mall is under way. Read more: http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_22970734/joe-muench-city-bigwigs-should-push-utep-into