UTEP’s celebration and pep rally in anticipation of its impending July 1 move to the Mountain West Conference was all about a look to the future, and much of that excitement had to do with a nostalgic past.
Technically, the Mountain West is new ground for the UTEP athletic programs, but returning to places like New Mexico, Wyoming, Air Force and Hawaii isn’t untrodden ground.
”Entering the Mountain West Conference on July 1 feels good, it feels right, it’s where UTEP belongs,” voice of the Miners John Teicher told a crowd of 200 that included donors, coaches, student-athletes and virtually every local media outlet. “It’s home. It’s home. The Mountain West Conference is home.
”It is more than just a historic event for UTEP athletics. It is the fulfillment of a longtime dream for the most ardent Miner supporters.“
That dream began as a nightmare in 1999 when UTEP’s historic rivals, its “home,” broke away from the Western Athletic Conference to form the Mountain West and left the Miners behind.
Since that dark day, UTEP fans have longed for a chance to set its sights West, and that day arrives July 1. Friday’s event at the Durham Center was a celebration of the work and the journey that led to it.
“Ever since I was named director of athletics in 2017 … I had 50 town hall meetings in the first five or six months. I was here all over the city, and the number 1 thing I heard from people was, ‘When are you going to get us in the Mountain West?,” athletic director Jim Senter said.
”Some have waited 28 years for us to join the Mountain West. We’ll, we’re here. This is good for UTEP and it’s good for El Paso.”
There was excitement everywhere as UTEP announced a new phase of its Mountain West-themed fundraising initiative, as its “Climb Higher” campaign is moving to a “Reach the Peak” phase, kick-started by a $2.5 million pledge from Paul Foster and Alejandra de la Vega-Foster, announced at the event.
Senter then put that in perspective.
”We’re in the resource fight of our lives if we want to have a viable athletic department and program,” Senter said. “As we continue to go about and talk to people and they said, ‘What do you need?’ We need to get people involved.
”Do what you can do.”
The feeling is that it will be an easier ask in the Mountain West Conference, and UTEP began that celebration five days early.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP celebrates move to Mountain West ahead of July 1 debut
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
