UTEP Volleyball receives gift to begin gym renovation
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- UTEP Volleyball received a $1 million gift to help begin renovation of the Memorial Gym.
Bob McFadden, DDS gifted the $1 million to the program, it is the largest donation to a women's sport in UTEP Athletics history. McFadden joined UTEP President Heather Wilson, Volleyball Coach Ben Wallis and Vice President and Director of Athletics Jim Senter to announce the gift earlier today.
“I can’t begin to express not only my excitement, but more importantly my gratitude for Bob McFadden’s incredibly generous gift,” Wallis said. “Not only is it historic, but it continues to demonstrate how much this city loves UTEP and our volleyball program. We continue to elevate our play on the court, and now we’ll be upgrading our fan experience as well.”
The Memorial Gym renovation is expected to begin this spring and will conclude before the start of the 2026 season, when the Miners join the Mountain West Conference.
This gift will allow Athletics to start the first phase of the projected $1.5 million renovation. The renovation will include new premium seating in the lower level of Memorial Gym and the installation of Taraflex. Taraflex is an advanced sports flooring and playing surface that allows UTEP to host volleyball conference tournaments.
Additional funding will then address lighting and sound upgrades.
“We are so thankful to Bob McFadden for his generosity, and we’re excited about launching a new era of Miner Volleyball in the Mountain West Conference with a state-of-the-art Memorial Gym,” Senter said. “This is a milestone day for UTEP Athletics.”
McFadden is a retired general practice dentist who provided comprehensive dental services to the El Paso community such as preventative care, diagnostic evaluations, cleanings, cavity treatment, restorative procedures, crowns, extractions, veneers and root‑canal–related therapies before selling his practice in 2019.
He attended UTEP in the 1970s and praises the biology and chemistry department for preparing him for dental school. According to a press release by UTEP Athletics, McFadden has a long history of supporting UTEP Athletics as a donor and a season ticket holder for UTEP men's basketball.
“It’s time that I give something back to my alma mater. I grew up watching Miner basketball in Memorial Gym in the 1960’s, and the UTEP volleyball team has thrilled me in recent years,” McFadden said. “These young ladies excel in the classroom, they have goals, and they’re going to be our leaders in the future. It’s my pleasure to both support the UTEP volleyball program and help enhance the gameday experience in Memorial Gym for the next generation of Miner fans. It's my way of saying thank you to UTEP for educating me and for everything this wonderful University has done for El Paso.”
Season ticket holders and project donors will be the first to access seating for the 2026 volleyball season based on their Miner Athletic Club priority points ranking. They will be contacted by a Miner Athletic Club representative and seat selection will begin the week of March 30th.
