The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is headed to the Mountain West.
The Mountain West conference announced Tuesday that UTEP has been added as the seventh full-time member of the league, and the eighth university that will play football in the conference.
The big picture: UTEP will join the league in time for the 2026-2027 academic year and will continue competing in Conference USA through the 2025-2026 season.
- UTEP is partnering back up with seven universities that it used to compete against in the Western Athletic Conference.
- The university left the WAC for Conference USA in 2005.
- UTEP will reportedly have to pay Conference USA $2 million for leaving.
Driving the news: Tuesday’s announcement comes after the Mountain West was raided by the Pac-12 over the last month.
- Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State all left the Mountain West to join with Oregon State and Washington State in the Pac-12, leaving the Mountain West to scramble to have to add new members to remain in compliance with the NCAA.
- The Mountain West still has to add one more university to meet the NCAA-mandated threshold of eight full-time members. Hawaii is only an affiliate member for football, with the rest of the university’s programs competing in the Big West.
- CBS Sports reported the Mountain West is also in discussions with Texas State to join the conference.
What they’re saying: Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said the conference is excited to welcome UTEP into the fold.
- “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,” Nevarez said. “We welcome and look forward to competing against the student-athletes of UTEP.”
- UTEP President Heather Wilson said, “There’s no doubt this will be better for our student-athletes, our fans, and for El Paso. We look forward to rekindling former rivalries and welcoming teams and their fans to El Paso.”
