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Pete Thamel, ESPN
The Mountain West is in deep discussions about adding UTEP as a full member, sources told ESPN, and there’s mutual interest between the sides.
A deal has yet to be finalized, per ESPN sources, but an answer on UTEP joining the league is expected soon.
The potential addition of UTEP has loomed as an obvious target for the league from both a geography and tradition standpoint. The school would give the Mountain West an addition in Texas as the league rebuilds after five schools announced they were leaving for the Pac-12.
The addition of UTEP would give 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.)
The Mountain West is seeking to get to eight members, the minimum for a league, after Utah State, Boise State, San Jose State, San Diego State and Fresno State announced their departures.
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, according to ESPN sources.
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.
In football, UTEP has reached 15 bowl games, and its former coaches include everyone from Bum Phillips to 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 top 25 most populated cities in the United States.