UTEP passing us by?

[Tom McKrackin]

 

[NT93]

When you saw the thread title and the poster, you knew.

[untbowler]

No they are not, but again not surprised seeing the OP of the post. 

UTEP fits in MWC, who is now much weaker. 

[rcade]

If this happens I'll be sad to lose a Texas school in our conference, even though it is a Texas-sized trip to get there.

Edit: UTEP is not in our conference. Who knew? Not me.

Edited October 1 by rcade

[MeanGreen22]

Tom here is always good for a laugh

[Travis]

8 minutes ago, rcade said:

If this happens I'll be sad to lose a Texas school in our conference, even though it is a Texas-sized trip to get there.

In our conference?

[Big Z]

Breaking: UTEP to join Mountain West Conference as full-time members (texasfootball.com)

[Wag Tag]

Do we even need to replace them? If so with who?

[NT93]

6 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Do we even need to replace them? If so with who?

They’re not in our conference. 

[Cougar King]

19 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Do we even need to replace them? If so with who?

They're in CUSA. You left CUSA a couple of years ago.

[golfingomez]

53 minutes ago, Big Z said:

Breaking: UTEP to join Mountain West Conference as full-time members (texasfootball.com)

Good on them... this conference makes way more sense for them geographically

[Old Denton]

12 minutes ago, golfingomez said:

Good on them... this conference makes way more sense for them geographically

Way past due, UTEP should never have had to be a member of an eastern-based conference.  NMSU neither.

[MCMLXXX]

So do you think Tarleton State is as well?

 

 

[DeepGreen]

Does Univ of Texas Rio Grande Valley have football program?

[TripleGrad]

Somewhere on a Texas State board:  "Tarleton State passing us by???"

Edited October 1 by TripleGrad

[TripleGrad]

UTEP officially announced for 2026-27

[rcade]

1 hour ago, Travis said:

In our conference?

Holy crap. I had a flashback to us being in CUSA with UTEP. Judy was our commissioner. Our games were on Stadium right after American 7s football games attended only by player's moms.

[SUMG]

21 minutes ago, DeepGreen said:

Does Univ of Texas Rio Grande Valley have football program?

Yes....they start play in 2025. 

[C Rod]

I'm convinced Tom McKrackin is a parody account. Would not surprise me if it was a SMU fan with too much time on their hands. 

[NM Green]

Excited for UTEP. They get that rivalry back with New Mexico which is always fun. Lobos Miners games always fun. Go UTEP!

GMG

[UNTLifer]

UTEP should have been there decades ago.

MWC's next target will probably be UTPB.

As to the author of this thread:

[southsideguy]

it is getting slim pickings if the MWC wants UTEP and Tarleton State.  MWC lost their top teams to the Pac which lost  it top teams to other conferences.  I dont see a big tv contract for the MWC coming up.  Be interesting to see who Judy gets next for CUSA.

[El Paso Eagle]

UTEP announced to their students at 10:08 this morning

 

EL PASO, Texas (Oct 1, 2024) – The University of Texas at El Paso has accepted a formal invitation to join the Mountain West Conference, the University and Conference announced today.

“Joining the Mountain West Conference will bring us back into competition with historic rivals in the west,” said UTEP President Heather Wilson. “There’s no doubt this will be better for our student athletes, our fans, and for El Paso.” 

UTEP has given notice to Conference USA that it will transition effective July 1, 2026 and will play in Mountain West Conference games starting in the 2026-27 academic year.

“We are excited to welcome the University of Texas at El Paso to the Mountain West as the next step in our strategic membership initiatives,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “The addition of UTEP restores historic rivalries with several of our member institutions within the geographic footprint, provides valuable exposure in the great State of Texas, and contributes to our priority of maximizing the student-athlete academic and athletics experience.” 

“We are honored to be invited to the Mountain West Conference,” said UTEP Vice President and Director of Athletics Jim Senter. “I know the Miners will feel right at home with the other quality athletic programs in this great conference.”

“This is great for El Paso,” said Josh Hunt, a longtime supporter of UTEP athletics and executive vice president of Hunt Companies. “Mountain West is a great fit, and it will be fantastic to compete again with UNM, Wyoming, Air Force and UNLV.”

UTEP joined Conference USA in 2005 and remained in Conference USA after the most recent conference realignment in 2021. Since that time, most schools that have joined CUSA have been in the eastern United States, far from UTEP and in communities without a large alumni fan base. The only two schools in Texas left in Conference USA are Sam Houston State University and UTEP. 

“We wish our colleagues in Conference USA well. It’s a great group of schools, it’s just not as good a fit for us at this time,” said Senter.

“The decision to join the Mountain West Conference is clearly a great opportunity for UTEP,” said The University of Texas System Chancellor James B. Milliken. “President Wilson and Athletic Director Senter have worked for some time to position UTEP well for when the time came. The time came, and they made it happen.”

Wilson and Senter actively engaged in private discussions with the Mountain West and Conference USA to evaluate options and make the best decision for UTEP and El Paso.

“We appreciate the professionalism of the leadership in both Conferences,” Wilson said.  

The 335 UTEP student-athletes compete in 17 sports. In the 23-24 academic year, five Miner teams competed for a championship. 

[El Paso Eagle]

18 minutes ago, southsideguy said:

it is getting slim pickings if the MWC wants UTEP and Tarleton State.  MWC lost their top teams to the Pac which lost  it top teams to other conferences.  I dont see a big tv contract for the MWC coming up.  Be interesting to see who Judy gets next for CUSA.

I am guessing UNM went with the no way on NMSU if they are bypassing them for Tarleton

[NT80]