Miami athletic director: UTEP turned down playing Miami at the Sun Bowl next season

The University of Miami helped sell out the Hyundai Sun Bowl when they took on Notre Dame on New Year’s Eve 2010.

And there was a very good chance Miami could have helped fill the Sun Bowl again versus the Miners in 2013.

But the Miners turned the offer down, according to Miami’s Interim Athletic Director Blake James.

James was answering questions on Twitter when a fan suggested Miami play the University of Texas at El Paso in a home-and-home series in 2013 and 2015.

James tweeted back that he “spoke with UTEP, they were not interested. As an FYI, we offered to travel to El Paso in 13.”

It was not clear if this would have been part of a home-and-home agreement.

A UTEP fan then asked James what reason UTEP gave for not taking the deal and if it was because of the payout they would receive.

James responded, “I am confident they did what was best for there program given all of the variables, just as Savannah State was best for us.”

UTEP Athletic Department spokesman Jeff Darby said he and the sports department would not comment on the reports because they do not comment on games scheduled until they are announced in March.

Miami has won five national championships in football and is known as Quarterback U because of its high caliber of quarterbacks that have been successful in college and the NFL.