Joe on utepia

Internet leaks (hushed) news

It used to be "not true" until the athletic department says it was. Such was the case with upcoming schedules.

Well, UTEP has yet to officially release its 2009-10 basketball schedule (I haven't seen it), but it's known BYU will come to The Don Jan. 9 and the Sun Carnival Tournament will return after a year off.

BYU said so on its Web site.

Niagara said so on its Web site. Niagara will play Air Force and UTEP will play Norfolk State in the first round.

Note: I can see why UTEP isn't eager to release that cheapo basketball tournament lineup, either. Selling tickets for back-to-back games of UTEP vs. those guys is a long cry from the days Michigan, Florida ... lots of big-namers used to play in Sunny's event. It's just hard to get good fields so the event was better off last year when it was dead.

Anyway, UTEP usually doesn't release news about schedules until they are fully full. Often the Miners are still awaiting the paperwork on some non-conference game against some ... well, Norfolk State type. And Athletic Director Bob Stull is noted for never admitting to anything early. He will not admit yesterday was yesterday until today. "Yes, it was Sunday yesterday," Stull might say today.

I might add that Steve Kaplowitz had the BYU and the Sunny tourney stuff days ago. So many sports fans scour the Internet for this kind of stuff nowadays that schools can't keep secrets, anymore

Good budget cuts, UTEP

UTEP did a good job of running almost a million dollars poorer this coming school year.

Fans aren't going to notice the $800,000 surgery Athletic Director Bob Stull performed. Two such cuts were hacking the "life skills coordinator" and a "sports turf technician."

I'm not trying to be a wiseacre here, not this time, anyway.

UTEP has been running on $20 million, and that's a lot of money — until it's noted that $20M is only the 6th highest budget in 12-school Conference USA. And the University of Texas runs at about $100 million.

What's apparently not going to happen — the sad news here — is installation of a much-need new turf in Sun Bowl Stadium and much-needed made-for-TV lighting in both the Sun Bowl and The Don.

The big cuts are in travel (they're conference-wide cuts) in the minor sports. Yes, I said "minor" sports. I don't go with this politically correct "Olympic sports" thing. Everything but football and men's and women's basketball is a "minor" sport.

Suggestion: With no sports turf technician (lawn mower at Glory Field?) Football Coach Mike Price can assign those duties to naughty players. "You run 20 laps. And YOU cut the grass."

Might IFL Generals leave El Paso?

There's chatter that UTEP may be fielding the only adult football team in El Pasos once again.

Something's up with the El Paso Generals of the 23-franchise Indoor Football League. First, General Manager Dart Clark has resigned — right before the playoffs. And El Paso has already clinched a playoff position. That doesn't happen very often, especially when there's been no sign of in-fighting among management.

The Generals are owned by Allegiance Pro Sports, Inc., out of Odessa, which owns a few IFL teams. Word is the El Paso franchise has been for sale.

Other talk is that a Texas-based league could form — and that would almost ensure El Paso would be included. But the IFL is THE indoor league at this particular level.

Since the league stretches from Alaska to Rochester, N.Y., it's not a stretch to figure that some sports guys with bucks might want to buy one of the league's best teams and move it to his city.

From all accounts, the Generals have been a decent draw in El Paso and a good tenant in County Coliseum. Average attendances is about 2,000 which is four times better than the last indoor football team here. But it's still not half-full. And, of course, there are usually quite a few freebie tickets given out.

Word is the Generals corporate ownership may not be willing to make a long-term financial investment in an El Paso IFL franchise and would like to make some money by selling the franchise rights. Perhaps sell the Generals and then start a new El Paso team in a new league?

Clark had little or no comment on why he left RIGHT NOW — at this peculiar time. That means something might be up.

"Yes we can" uniforms?

Word is the new UTEP slogan and new way of life, "Yes We Can," includes new "surprise" basketball uniforms. They'll be the likes of nothing seen in the past. They're to be a surprise, a Wow!

OK. Go for it.

What if that means the Miners go "street" and wear the trunks down real low — with boxer shorts hanging out and stamped with the slogan, "Yes We Can."

How about digital jerseys? Name on top. And then there'd be one of those ESPN or CNN crawlers at the bottom updating fans on how many points and rebounds that player has so far that game.

We hardly (we didn't) know ya

Tim Hardaway — that's the junior Hardaway — will apparently play college basketball at the University of Michigan.

Did many here know that Tim "UTEP two-step" Hardaway even had a son?

UMHoops.com calls Junior, who is 6-foot-5, a lanky shooting guard who will fit into Coach John Beilein's spread-the-floor offense that relies heavily on 3-pointers.

On the "star" system, where 5 is considered the best, Tim Hardaway Jr. is a 3.That's not anything official, but it's how recruiting fanatics rate players.

He apparently chose Michigan over other offers. We'll not know if Dad's alma mater, UTEP, was among the wooers. Schools can't advertise who they seek. However, Hardaway's name hasn't popped up around UTEP, and there are certainly enough people who follow recruiting and make it their hobby to know who Coach Tony Barbee and his staff are seeking.

Anyway, one of the two most famous UTEP alums (with Nate Archibald), Tim Hardaway, has a son who is talented in basketball.