Late Monday afternoon, UTEP men's basketball fans discovered a scheduling tidbit through the grapevine.

As New Mexico released their full non-conference schedule, UTEP was listed as an opponent on October 28. The matchup will be a charity exhibition game at The Pit, with the game raising money for the UNM Children’s Hospital.

As one of the top mid-major programs in the region, the Lobos will offer a nice test for the Miners before the season actually gets underway. New Mexico finished 26-10 last season and made the NCAA Tournament as an 11th seed before bowing out in the first round. The last time the Miners faced the Lobos was in 2021 and UTEP beat UNM at The Pit, 77-69, during the first season of Joe Golding at the helm.

UTEP men's basketball hasn't released its full 2024-25 non-conference schedule yet. The Miners will be playing in a Las Vegas tournament called the Ball Dawgs Classic from Nov. 25-27. They will face Sul Ross State at home early in November and face Utah Valley on the road as part of the CUSA/WAC Challenge. UTEP has pre-built return games this year, including at UC Santa Barbara and a home game against Loyola Marymount. A nugget dropped last week pinning the Miners against Louisville on Dec. 11. Billy Gillespie and Tarleton State will be coming to the Don Haskins Center in December as part of the CUSA/WAC Challenge. Then, UTEP will face Jackson State and the winner/loser of Akron/Yale in the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational from Dec. 20-21. The Miners could be looking for one more home game, one more Power-4 opponent and could face UTSA in non-conference play this year.

Trip to the Bahamas Rundown 

This week, UTEP men's basketball will embark on an overseas trip to the Bahamas to play a pair of exhibition games. The Miners have games on Thursday and Saturday, with practice and activities scheduled throughout the week. Golding said the team will also host a basketball clinic for the kids.

"Sunday will be an off-day beach day and we'll have fun with the guys... as long as we win." Golding joked.

While the games themselves won't likely be streamed, Golding said the coaching staff will provide highlights on how the team fared in the two games.

"Excited to be out there. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the guys," Golding said. "I know they're excited. It's been a long summer. It's kind of the reward at the end of the summer. Looking forward to the opportunity to play two games."

Locomotive FC Drop 2-1 to New Mexico United

By Evan Rubio

Gallery Credit: By Evan Rubio

 

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