UTEP to play A&M next year, one of seven road games

UTEP’s next head football coach, whoever it may be, is about to inherit a tougher job. The Miners have scheduled a Nov. 2 game at Texas A&M and Heisman favorite Johnny Manziel and now have a slate that features seven road games and five home games. The game with the Aggies has been in the works for more than a month and was the reason UTEP turned down a chance to bring Miami to the Sun Bowl. “We made the contract before I saw them play Alabama,” athletic director Bob Stull said from an undisclosed location where he was presumably interviewing a head coaching candidate. Texas A&M upset then-No. 1 Alabama earlier this year and is currently ranked No. 9. “It will be fun, we still want in-state stuff,” Stull said. Despite only having five home games, Stull also wanted a seventh road game. “They are tearing up campus, widening Sun Bowl Drive, it’s going to be a mess,” Stull said. “People will not be able to tailgate like they normally do. It will be very inconvenient. “We’ll have five home games and a game at New Mexico State, so that’s six games our fans can see us.” UTEP opens with a home game against New Mexico and will play non-conference games at the Aggies in Las Cruces, at Colorado State and at the Aggies in College Station. The Conference USA schedule won’t be released until February, but the assumption is that UTEP will have home games with UTSA, Tulsa, UAB and Marshall and road games with Louisiana Tech, Rice, North Texas and Tulane. “The following year (2014) we may have seven home games,” said Stull, who added that Texas Tech will play at the Sun Bowl that season as the first leg of a home-and-home with the Red Raiders. As for the biggest question — who will be the coach for those games — Stull laughed when asked but did shoot down the widespread rumor that former Boise State and Colorado coach Dan Hawkins was a done deal. “I’ve known him a long time, he’s a great coach, he’d be a great success, but I haven’t decided on anybody. I’m still talking to people.” He did indicate that he would like to have a coach in place to introduce at the Dec. 17 men’s basketball game against nationally ranked UNLV at the Don Haskins Center.

Comments

[JZ]

“They are tearing up campus, widening Sun Bowl Drive, it’s going to be a mess,” Stull said. “People will not be able to tailgate like they normally do. It will be very inconvenient.

C'mon Bob. You think the average fan will believe that crud as THE REASON why you chose a road game at Texas AnM . How about giving us the real reason (and other AD's have actually been honest about it) and tell us because your athletic department needs the money. There's NO Shame in that, but it's shameful that you try to spin it otherwise

[RickC]

Agree with JZ - just be candid. There's no shame in being candid about your true motives. This is code word for what will likely be a lackluster year on the field due to past poor recruiting, and finishing in the red this past season. There's no way they made money with the announced gates last season.

The A&M game should be a nice revenue stream for poor decisions in the past to accept home-n-home with other struggling programs like UNM, Colorado State, & NMSU. It's a bad business module by a clueless AD. Stull may be a good x's and o's guy, but his business acumen stinks. UTEP already plays soft teams in-conference; they should make an effort to compete, and take on game at least 7 away games with "AQ" teams for the next 5 to 6 years. Build some equity in the program; you rarely recruit locally, so make that your pitch to recruits - something to the effect of: WE GUARANTEE YOU'LL BE ON TV PLAYING AGAINST BIG 12, SEC, BIG 10, & PAC 12 SQUADS.

Heck, if you do well enough, you may get invited to join a conference. Let's hope the hoops team can make up some revenue.

[RickC]

I meant 4 non-conference games against AQ conferences.