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| UTEP Miners | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of Texas at El Paso |
| Conference | Conference USA (primary) Mountain West (starting July 1, 2026) PRC (women's rifle) |
| NCAA | Division I (FBS) |
| Athletic director | Jim Senter |
| Location | El Paso, Texas |
| Varsity teams | 17 (6 men’s and 11 women’s) |
| Football stadium | Sun Bowl |
| Basketball arena | Don Haskins Center |
| Softball stadium | Helen of Troy Softball Complex |
| Soccer stadium | University Field |
| Other venues | Memorial Gym Kidd Field |
| Mascot | Paydirt Pete |
| Nickname | Miners and Lady Miners |
| Fight song | El Paso Fight |
| Colors | Dark blue, orange, and silver accent[1] |
| Website | utepminers |
 | |
TheUTEP Miners is the name given to the sports teams of theUniversity of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). They are informally referred to as theMiners,UTEP, orTexas–El Paso. UTEP was a member of theWestern Athletic Conference from 1967 to 2005, when they joinedRice,Tulsa, andSMU in leaving the WAC forConference USA.[2] The UTEP Miners are best known as the first team in Texas to win anNCAA Men's Basketball Championship (and only team in Texas to be national champions until Baylor's victory in the 2021 tournament). UTEP's colors areorange andblue and the mascot is a miner namedPaydirt Pete.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Football | Golf |
| Golf | Rifle |
| Track & field1 | Soccer |
| Softball | |
| Tennis | |
| Track & field1 | |
| Volleyball | |
| Beach volleyball | |
| 1 – includes both indoor and outdoor | |
Playing their first game in 1914, the UTEP Miners football team currently competes in theNCAADivision IFootball Bowl Subdivision. The team plays its games in theSun Bowl Stadium, and head coachMike Price retired from his 9th and final season at UTEP in 2012.
The winner of the UTEP vs.New Mexico State University football game receives a pair of traveling trophies: "The Silver Spade" and "The Brass Spittoon". The first spade used for this purpose was an old prospector's shovel dug up from an abandoned mine in theOrgan Mountains nearLas Cruces, New Mexico in 1947. This was the symbol of victory, and the spade was given to the winner of the football game between the Miners and Aggies each year.
The idea of the present Silver Spade was from UTEP student Don Henderson, the student association president and now a very successfulEl Paso businessman and former mayor of the city. In 1955 Henderson secured the present spade and each year the score of the game is engraved on the blade.
Perhaps the idea behind the spade is the fact that at the time the prospector's spade was uncovered, both schools' major field of study had use for the tool, mining and metallurgy for the College of Mines and agriculture at then New Mexico A&M.
The Brass Spittoon, officially known as the Mayor's Cup, came into existence in 1982 when the mayors of the two cities; Jonathan Rogers ofEl Paso, and David Steinberg ofLas Cruces decided to present another traveling trophy to the winner of the UTEP vsNew Mexico State University game. This game is more commonly known as "The Battle of I-10".
UTEP was a member of theBorder Intercollegiate Athletic Association, from 1941 to 1961. The football team wona conference championship in 1956.
As Texas Western, the Miners won the1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The 72–65 victory overKentucky at TheUniversity of Maryland'sCole Field House inCollege Park, Maryland is considered one of the most important games in the history of college basketball. It marked the first time that a team started 5African-American players in atitle game.[3] Contrary to popular belief, this game was not an "upset" since Kentucky and Texas Western entered the game ranked #1 and #2 respectively, with each team having only one loss. At this time, Kentucky had noAfrican-American players (thoughAdolph Rupp gave formal scholarship offers to black players as early as 1964, it was not untilTom Payne in 1971 that a black player finally joined the Wildcats). The impact of the game was pivotal primarily because it occurred during the height of theCivil Rights Movement.
The title team has been chronicled throughout the American media, including the booksBasketball's Biggest Upset by Ray Sanchez andWhen the Walls Came Tumbling Down by Frank Fitzpatrick, and the 2006Disney movie,Glory Road.
The team was inducted into theBasketball Hall of Fame.
The UTEP Miners' men's cross country team has won 7 national cross country championships, the most recent of which came in 1981 and including a four-year streak of national championships from 1978 to 1981. They have qualified for 18 national championships, finishing first 7 times, second twice, third twice, and fifth once. They were originally awarded the1983 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship title, but it was later revoked amid allegations of slush fund payments to runners. The Miners' men's and women's cross country teams have been coached since 2003 by former professional athlete and Olympic 800 meter gold medalistPaul Ereng. The men's team has had three individual national champions:Suleiman Nyambui in1980,Matthews Motshwarateu in1981, andZakarie Barie in1983. The Miners' women's cross country team earned a trip to the NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championships every year from 1987 to 2009, finishing as high as 5th in1987. The women's team has not had an individual champion.
In June 2013, the Miners' rifle team became a charter member of thePatriot Rifle Conference.[4]
UTEP's sports programs have won a total of 21 NCAA Division I national championships.[5] UTEP is currently tied for 10th overall among schools in Men's Sports Division I championships.
UTEP's fight song was written by the school's music department in the late 1980s. It is based onMarty Robbins's Grammy-winning song "El Paso" with slightly rewritten lyrics and tempo, and was used with the permission of Robbins's estate.[6]
UTEP students and alumni participated in track and field events.[7]
| Athlete | Event | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Mickaël Hanany | high jump |  France |
| Blessing Okagbare | long jump |  Nigeria |
| Blessing Okagbare Oludamola Osayomi Halimat Ismaila | women's 4×100 meter relay | Nigeria |
| Oludamola Osayomi | 100M women | Nigeria |
| Oludamola Osayomi | 200M women | Nigeria |
| Halimat Ismaila | 100M women | Nigeria |
| Churandy Martina | 100M men |  Netherlands Antilles |
| Churandy Martina | 200M men | Netherlands Antilles |
| Ronalds Arājs | 200M men |  Latvia |
| Caimin Douglas | men 4×100 meter relay |  Netherlands |
| Erma-Gene Evans | javelin |  Saint Lucia |
| Alexandros Papadimitriou | hammer throw men |  Greece |
| Henderson Dottin |  Barbados | |
| Fatimoh Muhammed |  Liberia |
UTEP owns the two largest stadiums in El Paso:
