UTEP 'honored' to join retooled Mountain West Conference

UTEP has officially joined the Mountain West Conference, the league announced Tuesday. The Miners will begin competition for all conference sports in the 2026-27 academic year.

UTEP, which had been in deep discussions with the Mountain West in recent days, alerted Conference USA officials of its intent to leave the league prior to Tuesday's announcement, sources told ESPN.

UTEP was an obvious target for the Mountain West based on its location and the school's athletic tradition across a variety of sports. The school gives the Mountain West a highly coveted addition in Texas as the league rebuilds after five schools announced they were leaving for the Pac-12.

"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," Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement Tuesday. "The addition of UTEP restores historic rivalries with several of our member institutions within the geographic footprint and provides valuable exposure in the great State of Texas. We welcome and look forward to competing against the student-athletes of UTEP."

The addition of UTEP gives the league seven full-time members -- joining UNLV, San Jose State, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico and Air Force. The Mountain West needs to build to eight members to become a formal conference. (Hawaii remains a football-only member.) Recently, Utah State, Boise State, San Jose State, San Diego State and Fresno State announced their departures.

"I know the Miners will feel right at home with the other quality athletic programs in this great conference," said UTEP vice president and director of athletics Jim Senter.

In UTEP, the Mountain West will get a school with a strong football and basketball lineage. UTEP's football opener against Southern Utah drew 41,633 fans to the Sun Bowl.

"There's no doubt this will be better for our student-athletes, our fans, and for El Paso," UTEP president Heather Wilson added. "We look forward to rekindling former rivalries and welcoming teams and their fans to El Paso."

In football, UTEP has reached 15 bowl games; former coaches include Bum Phillips and Mike Price. UTEP is currently in Conference USA, where it has resided since 2005, when it jumped over from the WAC.

UTEP's basketball history is even stronger, as it has appeared in 17 NCAA tournaments and won the national championship in 1966, when the school was known as Texas Western. The Miners were the first team with a starting five of all African American players to win the national title. The coach of that team, Don Haskins, is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

UTEP has a strong fan base, and El Paso, Texas, has a population of nearly 679,000, which makes it one of the 25 most populated cities in the United States.

The Mountain West has also issued a verbal offer to Texas State in recent days, according to sources. No clarity or timeline has emerged on Texas State's decision. The Pac-12 has also expressed interest in Texas State, sources said..