September 15, 2026
UTEP Athletics is off to an impressive start across several sports as the Miners continue their first season in the Mountain West.
From a surging volleyball team to an undefeated soccer squad and a football team coming off a dominant home victory, there is plenty happening around the UTEP athletic department heading into another busy week.
Football: Miners Bounce Back in a Big Way
After opening the season with a difficult 51-0 loss at Oklahoma, UTEP responded with one of its strongest offensive performances in recent years.
The Miners defeated Texas Southern 51-10 on September 12 at the Sun Bowl, improving to 1-1 on the season.
UTEP trailed 10-7 early in the second quarter before scoring 44 unanswered points.
Quarterback EJ Colson Jr. led the offensive explosion, completing 14 of 21 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 49 yards and another touchdown, finishing with five total touchdowns.
The Miners finished with 491 total yards, including 252 rushing yards and 239 passing yards.
Tavorus Jones added 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Raymond Moore III provided one of the game’s biggest plays with a 79-yard touchdown run.
Kam Thomas also made an immediate impact, catching an 83-yard touchdown pass on UTEP’s opening play from scrimmage.
Defensively, UTEP forced two turnovers and recorded two sacks.
The Miners now face their biggest challenge since opening weekend when they travel to face No. 16 Michigan on September 19.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Volleyball: UTEP Enters a Major Test at 7-1
UTEP volleyball continues to make an early statement in its first Mountain West season.
The Miners enter this week’s action with a 7-1 record and a seven-match winning streak.
UTEP recently swept I-10 rival New Mexico State before continuing its strong run with wins over Pacific and UC San Diego.
The Miners have been one of the more balanced teams in the early season. Through eight matches, UTEP has recorded 427 kills, 386 assists, 54 aces, 435 digs and 86 blocks.
The team is hitting .257 collectively, compared with a .184 hitting percentage for its opponents.
Luvina Oguntimehin has emerged as one of the team’s leading offensive weapons with 77 kills and 94.5 points through eight matches.
Freshman Mackenzi Davis has also made an immediate impact, recording 74 kills and 90 points. Davis was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week earlier this month.
Now UTEP enters one of its toughest stretches of the season.
The Miners will face No. 13 TCU on September 16, UIW on September 17 and No. 18 Baylor on September 18.
Women’s Soccer: Undefeated Start Continues
UTEP women’s soccer remains undefeated at 6-0-2 after another strong weekend.
The Miners defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2-1 on September 13, extending their winning streak to four matches.
The victory also gave UTEP its best start to a season since 2005.
Zeta McDannels opened the scoring in the ninth minute before Haylee Lancaster doubled the lead in the 24th minute.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi answered shortly afterward, but UTEP’s defense shut down the Islanders for the remainder of the match.
The Islanders managed just one total shot in the second half and did not record a shot on goal after their first-half goal.
McDannels continues to lead the team offensively with five goals on the season, while Dannique Wilson leads the Miners with four assists.
UTEP will return to action September 17 against New Mexico State at 7 p.m. Mountain Time.
Cross Country: Home Meet Coming to El Paso
UTEP cross country opened its 2026 season at the Art Morgan Classic hosted by New Mexico State.
Nathan Kapel led the men’s team with a fourth-place finish in 14:52.38, setting a personal record.
On the women’s side, El Paso native Salma Licon led the Miners with a 10th-place finish in 18:47.40, also establishing a personal record.
The Miners recorded seven personal bests and nine UTEP debuts during the opening meet.
The team will return home September 19 for the 40th Lori Fitzgerald Invitational at Ascarate Park.
The meet will mark UTEP’s first cross-country home event since 2019, and admission is free.
Women’s Golf: Miners in Contention in Albuquerque
UTEP women’s golf is competing at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque.
After two rounds, the Miners sit fifth among 13 teams at 9-over par. The second round was suspended because of lightning and is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.
Luciana Origel currently leads UTEP at 2-under par, placing her tied for fifth individually.
Taline Kyoumjian sits tied for 15th at 1-over, while Camila Echavarri is tied for 18th at 2-over.
The tournament will conclude Tuesday following completion of the second round.
Men’s Golf Begins Mountain West Era
UTEP men’s golf officially began its 2026-27 season at the USC Bomb Darts Birds Intercollegiate in Phoenix on September 7-8.
The season represents a new chapter for the program as UTEP begins competing as a Mountain West member.
The Week Ahead
UTEP Athletics has another packed week ahead.
September 16: Volleyball at No. 13 TCU
September 17: Women’s soccer at New Mexico State
September 17: Volleyball vs. UIW
September 18: Volleyball at No. 18 Baylor
September 19: Football at No. 16 Michigan
September 19: Lori Fitzgerald Invitational at Ascarate Park
The early portion of UTEP’s first Mountain West season has already provided plenty of momentum.
Football has responded to its opening loss with a dominant home victory. Volleyball has established itself as one of the conference’s early contenders. Women’s soccer remains undefeated, while cross country and golf continue building toward the rest of their seasons.
The Mountain West era is underway, and Miner Nation is just getting started.
