UTEP Asks Fans to Celebrate Orange Fridays

The University of Texas at El Paso is encouraging all Miners fans to recognize the 1966 Texas Western College basketball team by wearing orange on Fridays.

This is in anticipation of the commemorative 50th anniversary game that will be played at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, in UTEP’s Don Haskins Center.

Businesses big and small, municipalities, and K-12 students are encouraged to wear UTEP’s primary color to honor the ’66 team and support the 2015-16 Miners as they play for Conference USA victories.

Fans are encouraged to take pictures of their orange-clad fellow students or co-workers and post them using #Miners1966.

“We want to reignite the joy and excitement tied to Orange Fridays,” said Christian Corrales, University employer and community relations manager. “We hope to create awareness and build spirit leading up to the game.”

The University’s Office of Student Life has organized two other ways the community can relive the team’s accomplishment.

“The Road to Glory” is a commemorative exhibit open through Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, in the Union Gallery on the second floor of Union Building East. The artifacts come from UTEP’s Heritage House and University alumni who have loaned items such as posters, newspaper clippings and autographed basketballs from their personal collections.

The exhibit reception is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3 on the second floor of Union Building East and is free and open to the public.

UTEP will host the screening of two related films Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the Union Cinema in Union Building East on the first floor. The free shows begin at 6 p.m. with the award-winning 2002 documentary “And the Wheels Turned: The 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship” by UTEP’s Cotton Productions.

The 2006 Disney film, “Glory Road,” based on Texas Western’s 1966 championship season, will be shown at 7 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

Learn more about the 1966 team at gloryroad.utep.edu.