What UTEP athletics needs

Random thoughts:

What, facility-wise, does UTEP still need? How about individual chairs, with arms and a back, in Sun Bowl Stadium? Those aren't just amenities, anymore. They are standard in stadiums.  But they cost money.

I don't think there's money to consider skyboxes. The "bigs" have already donated millions: Larry Durham (Durham Center), Foster/Stevens (basketball complex) Jerry Rubin (softball complex).  Russ Vandenberg (all over the place).  It'll take some seasons of big ticket sales to get skyboxes, and then the question will be, who'll rent one?

I don't know what else AD Bob Stull can still do. He's been behind the new facilities, although the Durham Center was evolved from a plan by then-FB Coach Charlie Bailey and a local mega contractor.

Here's the story: Bailey wanted an old-fashioned football fieldhouse. School prez Diatalicio said, no, build something for both men and women. Thus the Durham Center instead of the clubhouse/lockerroom for the football team. Larry Durham stuck with it and others kicked in the rest of the money.

Why doesn't Stull fire the so-called "minor" sports coaches when they don't win? Because it's OK if they don't win. Big winners would be asking for raises and hikes to their budgets. Their job is to make the athletic department look as good as possible when it comes to graduation rates.

Bottom line: Here are two things that are probably on the to-do list for the Athletic Department, and both will help recruiting:

A full-fledged athletic training table (think Bulgarian king feasts). But, as the NCAA allows, of course.

Charter flights for the men's basketball team. Airports drag out a trip. With charters, which cost a lot more money, you leave for home right after the game. Everything is direct non-stop.

 

Comments

[Minerinciter]

Why not build an multi- purpose indoor practice facility that would benefit football, track and softball when the weather is not suitable to practice. The location would be where the old Rudolph car lot is being used as a parking lot. If not, why not improve the facilites (Sun Bowl, Haskins Ctr., Memorial and Kidd) so the recruits and fans sees that the school is serious about building a winner. Even the smallest improvements would prove that.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

I have been happy with the job that Bob Stull has performed as AD. We have had significant upgrades in facilities and coaching hires have kept us competitive. The next step for Stull is to capture the imagination of the average El Pasoan and Miner fan. That means he needs to lose the air of exclusivity that permeates the athletic dept. Most El Pasoans feel alienated by Stull as he seems to be more interested in the high wage earners in the community. If he made a more concerted effort to befriended small businesses, the whole city could then get involved in Miner sports and revenue would increase. Then we may see those butts in the seats and the upgrades to facilities could continue.

[Lorenzo]

How bout hiring a marketing agency to get more fans to fill those empty seats thereby generating more revenue for the program? I understand the consistent problems UTEP has had in filling the Sun Bowl. The team's success (or lack there of) certainly plays a role. But I refuse to believe that a city as big (and even as poor) as El Paso can't have more respectable attendances in all sports. We all come up with our own solutions on this blog, but a good professional advertising agency can thoroughly research the demographics and historically successful ad-campaigns that have worked in EP... unless UTEP already is a client of one of these companies. In which case, dump 'em and hire another one that is more successful.

[Prospero]

I agree with Lorenzo, what UTEP really needs to do is focus on promotion and television ads. commercials really do work. if there were commericals constantly on local channels for football and basketball games, peopl would show up.

But also, UTEP needs to up its product in terms of fan enjoyability. And im not talking about winning. Im talking about making the game atmosphere into an extrodinary family event, the way Jim Paul did with the El Paso Diablos.

How about booking live bands, fireworks, more tshirt/hat giveaways?

*also in terms of faciities, i went to the Pit in ABQ for the first time, and i was impressed with their arena. it really had the feel of a NBA arena. that place would be a good model to aim for.

[NineteenRabbit]

Dear El Paso Times: you lie. Joe Muench is not "the columnist everyone loves to talk about"--how many ways and how often can anyone call a columnist a dork? The man has the mind of a dull-normal adolescent. What ever you pay him, if you do, is way too much.

[bill]

Dear El Paso Times: you lie. Joe Muench is not "the columnist everyone loves to talk about"--how many ways and how often can anyone call a columnist a dork? The man has the mind of a dull-normal adolescent. What ever you pay him, if you do, is way too much.

Posted by: NineteenRabbit | April 13, 2011 at 04:13 PM

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Except here you are posting about him, doing just what the Times wants you to do. Might as well send him some money through paypal...

[Aggietude]

How about another parking garage?
Seems like that's the only thing built around Jutep nowadays.

[miner maniac]

Tear down Memorial Gym and build a mini version of the Don for the women's basketball games (5,000 seats). Memorial Gym was a joke of a facility during the CUSA Tournament.

[ScoutWest]

UTEP athletics needs a Mens baseball team and keep the womens softball program; Figure it out too many other schools are doing it.......

can you imagine playing Rice, Houston and Tulane each year in CUSA and then scheduling out of conference games with NMSU, UNM, ASU, UA, TT, TCU, Baylor, A&M, or Texas

[Minerinciter]

"How about another parking garage? Seems like that's the only thing built around Jutep nowadays."
They are building another parking garage that will be ready around Spring 2012 located at Schuster Ave. and Rim Road.

[Art Dominguez]

There is not much more that UTEP needs, except maybe a men's baseball team. I know the numbers don't even out for men and women sports. Many of the schools in the conference have teams already. See what they do to make it possible. There is a high interest in baseball still in the community and there are many good players here in El Paso to start a program!

[Best Jerseys]

Time heals all wounds