### UTEP Joins Mountain West Conference in Latest Realignment Shakeup

In a significant conference realignment, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) will leave Conference USA and join the Mountain West Conference (MWC) starting July 2026. This strategic move, announced on Tuesday, follows serious weekend discussions between UTEP and the MWC, according to sources cited by CBS Sports.

This change will bring the MWC's membership count to eight, with seven full-time members and Hawai'i as a football-only member. The NCAA mandates that a league must have at least eight full members to be recognized as an FBS conference. This development coincides with the MWC's active pursuit of Northern Illinois and Toledo for football-only memberships, and exploratory talks with Texas State for full-time membership.

UTEP faces an exit fee of approximately $2 million to leave Conference USA. The decision is seen as advantageous for the MWC, especially considering the El Paso, Texas, television market's potential value. UTEP had previously been eyeing the Mountain West as a prospective home well before the recent wave of realignment, which saw five current MWC members defect to the Pac-12.

UTEP has been part of Conference USA since 2005, after a 38-year stint in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Miners clinched a championship in the WAC in 2000 and made their last bowl game appearance in 2021, where they were defeated by Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. Currently, under first-year coach Scotty Walden, UTEP has a 0-4 record this season.

The Mountain West recently announced that its remaining members have signed a memorandum of understanding to stay with the league through 2032. This commitment comes as the conference aims to strengthen its ranks following the departure of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State to the newly reformed Pac-12. The Pac-12 is currently in legal conflict with the MWC over a "poaching penalty," which could result in a substantial monetary penalty of approximately $140 million for the departing schools.

The inclusion of UTEP in the MWC is seen as a vital step in stabilizing the conference and preserving its status as a competitive FBS league amid ongoing realignment changes across college athletics.