Joe on utepia | The place for commentary for UTEP athletics

Miners lose scholarships

The most-recent docks in scholarships by the NCAA, due to academic shortfalls, shouldn't hurt UTEP football or men's basketball too much.

But it does pose this question: Wasn't UTEP's adding the "general studies" degree program supposed to help more students graduate — and remain academically eligible?

Previously, not only bad grades knocked a student-athletic  out,. But changing to a different major often meant ineligibility because rules said the athlete had to be on a par toward graduation in the declared major. Example: If you were a junior majoring in criminal justice, you had to have x number of credits toward that degree entering your junior year in order to remain eligible. It was somewhat complicated.

Anyway, the four docks in football can be spread out over two years; and with a program as large as major-college football (85 scholarship limit), the numbers on scholarships are usually in flux anyway. But two is still two. Eighty-five is still better than 83.

The one dock in basketball? Again, and especially with Coach Tim Floyd so adept at hiding the pea under a walnut shell, UTEP is not always at the limit of 14, anyway. Usually, though, coaches use an open hole to help pay a walk-on's tuition with the understanding it's only temporary financial help.

Here's what doesn't wash:

UTEP points out that some football players leave school in the spring semester of their senior year to get ready for the NFL Draft. C'mon. The NFL Draft? They had no shot at the NFL. They just were not serious students in the first place. Mercenaries!

Here's what's ironic:

UTEP, in a lot of ways, is becoming a program with several "mercenaries" on the football and men's basketball rosters. They are guys who have talent, but have left bigger schools for any one of several reasons. They are not here for academics, they are here to "go pro," as was Derek Caracter on last year's basketball team.

Bottom line: The "general studies" program, when it really kicks in, should help UTEP avoid losses of scholarships in the future.

Why did New Mexico dump UTEP?

UTEP got dumped! That's what's been lost amid the talk about UTEP having to schedule two "get killed" football road money games in 2012.

New Mexico said it can't play UTEP in 2012, so UTEP skedded a game at Ole Miss. UTEP already had a "get-killed" game at Wisconsin skedded.

Question, then, is there still a UTEP-New Mexico rivalry? Is not playing each other in football once a year important anymore? The ADs should  think. Playing each other should be a scheduling priority.

Yes, it's duly noted the two are no longer league-mates (old WAC), but the games between the two are getting fewer and fewer, even though it's easy on the travel budget going back and forth between here and Albuquerque.

This just doesn't make sense.

I'm skeptical of the reasoning given for dumping UTEP — that New Mexico has to re-fit its skeds because of Mountain West Conference changes. TCU, Utah and BYU are leaving; and Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State are coming in.

Three schools out. Three new schools in. So why did New Mexico dump  UTEP?