# UTEP Miners football
**UTEP Miners football** is the college football program of the [University of Texas at El Paso](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-texas-at-el-paso), an [NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncaa-division-i-football-bowl-subdivision) team that plays its home games at Sun Bowl Stadium in [El Paso, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-paso-texas), and competes in the Mountain West Conference as of July 1, 2026.[1](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utepathletics.com/documents/2025/8/26/2025_UTEP_Football_Fan_Guide.pdf) • [2](https://utepminers.com/news/2026/3/9/utep-announces-2026-football-schedule-miners-open-mw-era.aspx) The program's all-time record is 350-605-18.[3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-el-paso/index.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Home field | Sun Bowl Stadium, opened September 21, 1963; present capacity 45,971 after a $18 million renovation completed in 2020[1](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utepathletics.com/documents/2025/8/26/2025_UTEP_Football_Fan_Guide.pdf) |
| Conference | Mountain West since July 1, 2026, after a 21-year run in Conference USA[2](https://utepminers.com/news/2026/3/9/utep-announces-2026-football-schedule-miners-open-mw-era.aspx) |
| Head coach | Scotty Walden, named the program's 27th head coach on December 4, 2023[4](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/scotty-walden/3192) |
| All-time record | 350-605-18[3](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-el-paso/index.html) |
| 2024 season | 3-9 overall, 3-5 in Conference USA[5](https://conferenceusa.com/standings.aspx?standings=1141) |
| 2025 season | 2-10 overall, 1-7 in Conference USA; season ended with a 61-31 loss at Delaware[6](https://utepminers.com/news/2025/11/29/football-delaware-downs-utep-in-high-scoring-season-finale-61-31.aspx) |
| Principal rivalry | Battle of I-10 against New Mexico State; UTEP won the 101st meeting, 42-35, on November 30, 2024[4](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/scotty-walden/3192) |
## Sun Bowl Stadium
The Miners have played at Sun Bowl Stadium since it opened on September 21, 1963. On the first play from scrimmage in the then-30,000-seat stadium, running back Larry Durham ran 54 yards for a touchdown against North Texas State, and UTEP won 34-7. A second press-box deck was completed in 1969, extra seating was added in 1982, and an $18 million renovation finished in 2020 added outdoor club seats, loge boxes, indoor club seats, and suites, bringing capacity to 45,971.[1](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utepathletics.com/documents/2025/8/26/2025_UTEP_Football_Fan_Guide.pdf)
The stadium also houses the [Sun Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/sun-bowl) game every December, one of the oldest collegiate bowl games, which brings nationally televised teams from other conferences to El Paso.[7](https://utepminers.com/facilities/don-haskins-center/2) In 2005 the Miners set a school record by averaging 47,899 fans per game at the venue.[7](https://utepminers.com/facilities/don-haskins-center/2) UTEP has proposed a $99 million "Sun Bowl Uplift" project, which it estimates would generate a $2.06 billion tourism, retail, and retention impact over 30 years and more than 605 new jobs.[8](https://www.utep.edu/newsfeed/2024/may/utep-proposes-major-uplift-to-iconic-sun-bowl.html)
## Conference history and the move to the Mountain West
UTEP spent 21 years in [Conference USA](https://www.edgepedia.org/conference-usa) before giving notice in 2024 that it would transition to the Mountain West effective July 1, 2026, playing Mountain West games starting in the 2026-27 academic year.[2](https://utepminers.com/news/2026/3/9/utep-announces-2026-football-schedule-miners-open-mw-era.aspx) • [9](https://www.utep.edu/newsfeed/2024/september/utep-to-join-mountain-west-conference.html) The university noted that most schools joining Conference USA in recent years have been in the eastern United States, far from El Paso and without a large UTEP alumni base.[9](https://www.utep.edu/newsfeed/2024/september/utep-to-join-mountain-west-conference.html) The Mountain West added UTEP, Hawaii, and Northern Illinois for football as it rebuilt after losing five schools to the Pac-12.[10](https://apnews.com/article/91463c9911568e516e287156aa6c2b94)
**Return to western rivals.** The move reunites the Miners with former [Western Athletic Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/western-athletic-conference) opponents such as [New Mexico](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-mexico), Air Force, Nevada, San Jose State, UNLV, and Wyoming, programs UTEP has not faced regularly in about two decades.[11](https://utepinsider.com/2026/07/01/mountain-west-official/) UTEP's first Mountain West game is scheduled at longtime rival New Mexico, and the 2026 season opens at Oklahoma under Friday night lights.[2](https://utepminers.com/news/2026/3/9/utep-announces-2026-football-schedule-miners-open-mw-era.aspx)
## The Scotty Walden era
Scotty Walden, a native of Cleburne, Texas, was named UTEP's 27th head coach on December 4, 2023, after four seasons at Austin Peay State University, where he compiled a 26-14 record with four winning seasons and a 9-3, 6-0 conference-championship campaign in 2023.[4](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/scotty-walden/3192) His first FBS victory came on October 16, 2024, when the Miners beat FIU 30-21 in the Sun Bowl, snapping a nine-game losing streak dating to the previous season.[12](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/scotty-walden-gets-his-first-fbs-victory-after-utep-snaps-9-game-losing-streak-dating-to-last-season/) UTEP closed 2024 at 3-9, 3-5 in Conference USA, with wins over Kennesaw State in double overtime, 43-35, and a come-from-behind 42-35 victory at New Mexico State in the 101st Battle of I-10 on November 30.[4](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/scotty-walden/3192) • [5](https://conferenceusa.com/standings.aspx?standings=1141)
**2025 season.** The Miners finished 2-10, 1-7 in Conference USA. Their two wins came against UT Martin, 42-17, in the Sun Bowl on September 6, and at [Sam Houston](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-houston), 35-17, on October 15 on [CBS Sports Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-sports-network).[4](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/scotty-walden/3192) • [13](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/stats/2025) The season included a 27-10 loss at Texas before a crowd of 102,025 on September 13.[13](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/stats/2025) • [14](https://apnews.com/article/3a999e15bc7e42276779c852ee3fd71c) UTEP ended the year with a 61-31 loss at Delaware, which was completing its first FBS season at 6-6.[6](https://utepminers.com/news/2025/11/29/football-delaware-downs-utep-in-high-scoring-season-finale-61-31.aspx)
Individual highlights included quarterback Skyler Locklear, who started the last seven games and threw 13 touchdown passes while running for eight scores, a program record for a UTEP quarterback; running back Hahsaun Wilson's 117-yard day against UT Martin included a program-record 94-yard touchdown run; and linebacker Micah Davey led Conference USA with 131 tackles.[4](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/scotty-walden/3192) After the Delaware loss, Walden said he would look at himself, his staff, and the roster to decide what adjustments were needed for 2026.[6](https://utepminers.com/news/2025/11/29/football-delaware-downs-utep-in-high-scoring-season-finale-61-31.aspx)
## Battle of I-10
The Miners' principal rivalry is the Battle of I-10 against New Mexico State, named for the interstate highway connecting El Paso and Las Cruces. In games from October 2, 2004 through November 22, 2025, UTEP holds a 14-7 edge, including a longest win streak of eight games from 2009 to 2016 and a 5-5 split over the last ten meetings.[15](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/opponent-history/nm-state/98) The most recent meeting, on November 22, 2025, went to New Mexico State, 34-31, in El Paso.[15](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/opponent-history/nm-state/98)
## Recent performance in context
The program's recent seasons have been difficult. Under Dana Dimel (2018-2023) UTEP went 20-49, with the high point a 7-6 season and New Mexico Bowl appearance in 2021, and Walden's first two seasons produced a combined 5-19 record.[16](https://www.collegefootballratings.com/teams/utep) The 2026 move to the Mountain West places the program in a conference whose teams earned seven bowl berths in 2025, a materially stronger league than the Conference USA UTEP leaves behind.[17](https://mountainwest.sidearmsports.com/news/2026/6/4/mw-announces-2026-football-schedule.aspx)
## References
1. [2025 UTEP Football Fan Guide, Sun Bowl Stadium, UTEP Athletics](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utepathletics.com/documents/2025/8/26/2025_UTEP_Football_Fan_Guide.pdf)
2. [UTEP Announces 2026 Football Schedule, Miners Open MW Era, UTEP Miners](https://utepminers.com/news/2026/3/9/utep-announces-2026-football-schedule-miners-open-mw-era.aspx)
3. [UTEP Miners College Football History, Stats, Records, Sports Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-el-paso/index.html)
4. [Scotty Walden, Football Coach, UTEP Miners](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/scotty-walden/3192)
5. [2024 Football Standings, Conference USA](https://conferenceusa.com/standings.aspx?standings=1141)
6. [Delaware Downs UTEP in High-Scoring Season Finale, 61-31, UTEP Miners](https://utepminers.com/news/2025/11/29/football-delaware-downs-utep-in-high-scoring-season-finale-61-31.aspx)
7. [Sun Bowl, Facilities, UTEP Miners](https://utepminers.com/facilities/don-haskins-center/2)
8. [UTEP Proposes Major 'Uplift' to Iconic Sun Bowl, UTEP Newsfeed](https://www.utep.edu/newsfeed/2024/may/utep-proposes-major-uplift-to-iconic-sun-bowl.html)
9. [UTEP to Join Mountain West Conference, UTEP Newsfeed](https://www.utep.edu/newsfeed/2024/september/utep-to-join-mountain-west-conference.html)
10. [Pac-12, Mountain West conferences finalize settlement over 'poaching' and exit fees, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/91463c9911568e516e287156aa6c2b94)
11. [UTEP's Welcome to the Mountain West Is Official, The UTEP Insider](https://utepinsider.com/2026/07/01/mountain-west-official/)
12. [Scotty Walden gets his first FBS victory after UTEP snaps 9-game losing streak, CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/scotty-walden-gets-his-first-fbs-victory-after-utep-snaps-9-game-losing-streak-dating-to-last-season/)
13. [2025 Football Cumulative Statistics, UTEP Miners](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/stats/2025)
14. [AP Top 25 college football rankings name Notre Dame as the first ranked 0-2 team since 1988, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/3a999e15bc7e42276779c852ee3fd71c)
15. [UTEP Miners Football History vs New Mexico State University, UTEP Miners](https://utepminers.com/sports/football/opponent-history/nm-state/98)
16. [UTEP Program History, CollegeFootballRatings](https://www.collegefootballratings.com/teams/utep)
17. [Mountain West Announces 2026 Football Schedule](https://mountainwest.sidearmsports.com/news/2026/6/4/mw-announces-2026-football-schedule.aspx)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football programs › Football programs › Central and Western United States programs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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