For over a century, UTEP Athletics has been woven into the fabric of El Paso.

The Miners began competing in 1914, the same year the University opened as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy. From the beginning, UTEP Athletics has represented the pride, perseverance and character of the Borderland.

That legacy reached the national stage in 1966, when Texas Western College, led by legendary coach Don Haskins, defeated top-ranked Kentucky 72-65 to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. By starting five Black players in the national championship game, the Miners not only changed the game, but made a profound impact on American sports and the civil rights movement.

But 1966 was only one chapter. UTEP has won 21 NCAA Division I national championships, including 13 in men’s track and field and seven in men’s cross country, as well as countless conference titles.

Generations of Miners have carried that tradition forward — from champions and All-Americans to Olympians, professional athletes and student-athletes who have gone on to make an impact far beyond the playing field.

Today, UTEP Athletics has embarked on a new era. The Miners officially joined the Mountain West Conference in 2026, renewing historic rivalries and creating new opportunities for our student-athletes and our community.

Through every era, one thing has remained a constant: UTEP is El Paso’s team.

And the next chapter of Miner Athletics is being written right now.

Your support helps make that next chapter special.