UTEP and NMSU Looking at Future Conference Affiliations

UTEP faces Murray State in an NIT game Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, New Mexico State is set to face Kansas in an NCAA tournament game on Friday.

ABC-7 sat down with the athletic directors from both schools recently to discuss their conference affiliations and what’s being done to better those situations.

For the fifth year in a row, the Miners, who play in Conference USA, are not playing in the NCAA tournament. And while the Aggies are, they could do no better than a No. 15-seed by winning the Western Athletic Conference, leaving many wondering about their future in those conferences.

“There was a lot of movement in the last 10 years or so,” Stull said recently about the conference landscape. “It’s settled down dramatically Geographically, the Mountain West is a little better fit for us, just the fact you have the mountain states and a little bit more West.”

Stull admits the Mountain West, consisting of many of the old Western Athletic Conference schools that UTEP used to play, like New Mexico, Colorado State and Air Force, is a consideration.

“I think there’s always somewhat of an attraction to the Mountain West,” Stull said, “just the fact where they are and we’ll always keep our eyes open.”

Consider this: Conference USA, where UTEP plays, has got only seven schools to the NCAA tournament over the past five years. The WAC, where NMSU plays, has got only five NCAA tournament bids over the past five years, with only the postseason tournament champion getting in. Meanwhile, the Mountain West Conference, where many believe UTEP and NMSU should be playing, has got 16 NCAA tournament bids over that five year period and each one of those games is worth about $250,000 to the conference and its schools. So there is money to be made.

“Certainly, it would be wonderful if all of our sports competed under one conference banner,” said NMSU Mario Moccia, talking about the Aggies’ double life, playing in the Sun Belt in football, but the WAC in basketball.

“It’s delicate, because you’re in a conference, you don’t want to look ungrateful,” Moccia said. “But you’re right, it is a tough world and you’ve got to look out for yourselves.”

Moccia mentioned the Mountain West, which has 11 schools, could be seeking a 12th member. Some believe UTEP and NMSU should team up as travel partners and seek membership in the same conference. Moccia told ABC-7 he plans to meet with Stull soon and discuss the possibilities.