The Mountain West Conference has announced the addition of The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) as the seventh full-time member of the league and the eighth football-playing institution.

The Miners will begin competition for all conference sports in the 2026-27 academic year.

“We are excited to welcome The University of Texas at El Paso to the Mountain West as the next step in our strategic membership initiatives,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “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. We welcome and look forward to competing against the student-athletes of UTEP.”

UTEP joins the United States Air Force Academy, University of Hawaiʻi, Manoa (football only), University of Nevada, Reno, University of New Mexico, San José State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Wyoming as members of the Mountain West.

The Miners previously competed with all seven institutions as members of the Western Athletic Conference.

(Mountain West conference)