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UTEP Athletics revealed the 2015-16 UTEP basketball schedule today with 18 regular season home games highlighting the schedule.
Things get underway with a pair of exhibition matchups on October 31st versus Cameron, and on November 7th against East Central Oklahoma. The exhibition’s mark the first time since the 2011-12 season that UTEP opens a season with two exhibitions.
The regular season begins on November 14th against Loyola (New Orleans) which starts up four straight at home to open the season with Texas State (November 21st), Alcorn State (November 22nd), and Florida A&M (November 24th) following the season opener.
The two matchups with Alcorn State, and Florida A&M are guaranteed home games included in the Corpus Christi Classic.
UTEP will then travel to Corpus Christi for two games on November 27th, and November 28th, the field for the tournament will be finalized later this summer.
The early December portion of the schedule features road trips to NM State (Dec. 2) and Washington State (Dec. 13), sandwiched around a home game versus UT Arlington (Dec. 5). The rematch with NMSU is set for Dec. 19 at the Haskins Center, beginning a stretch of three consecutive home games prior to the holiday break.
The Weststar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational starts December 21st with UTEP hosting Sam Houston State, with the championship game, and consolation game to follow on December 22nd.
The Miners will end the out of conference portion of the schedule seven days after the Sun Bowl Invitational with UT-Rio Grande Valley visiting the Don on December 29th. UT-Rio Grande Valley was formally known as UT-Pan American.
For the second straight year, there will be 18 C-USA games, starting with a two game C-USA homestand with Rice on New Year’s Day 2016. Then the Miners host North Texas on January 3rd.
C-USA will again use the Thursday/Saturday format for most conference games.
UTEP will face Florida Atlantic, FIU, LA Tech, Southern Miss and UTSA twice each, and see Charlotte, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, UAB and Western Kentucky once. The schedule is balanced with five of the first nine on the road and five of the last nine at home.
Marquee conference games will be road games at UAB (January 9th), LA Tech (January 30th), Old Dominion (February 25th). On the home slate, must see games should be February 6th versus Western Kentucky, and the February 20th matchup with LA Tech.
The Conference USA Championships will return to Birmingham, Ala. March 8-12.
Tip off times, and TV coverage will be announced at a later date.
2015-16 UTEP Men's Basketball Schedule
Oct. 31 Cameron (EXB)
Nov. 7 East Central Oklahoma (EXB)
Nov. 14 Loyola (New Orleans)
Nov. 21 Texas State
Nov. 22 Alcorn State+
Nov. 24 Florida A&M+
Nov. 27-28 at Corpus Christi Coastal Classic
Dec. 2 at NM State
Dec. 5 UT Arlington
Dec. 13 at Washington State
Dec. 19 NM State
Dec. 21 Norfolk State#
Dec. 22 Sam Houston State/UC Irvine#
Dec. 29 UT Rio Grande Valley
Jan. 1 Rice*
Jan. 3 North Texas*
Jan. 7 at Middle Tennessee*
Jan. 9 at UAB*
Jan. 16 at UTSA*
Jan. 21 Florida Atlantic*
Jan. 23 FIU*
Jan. 28 at Southern Miss*
Jan. 30 at LA Tech*
Feb. 4 Marshall*
Feb. 6 Western Kentucky*
Feb. 11 at FIU*
Feb. 13 at Florida Atlantic*
Feb. 18 Southern Miss*
Feb. 20 LA Tech*
Feb. 25 at Old Dominion*
Feb. 27 at Charlotte*
March 5 UTSA*
March 8-12 at C-USA Championships^
+ Corpus Christi Coastal Classic
# WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational
^ Birmingham, Ala.