6,047 UTEP fans ‘excited’ to be at Sun Bowl for Miners’ opening win
EL PASO, Texas -- The UTEP Miners defeated Stephen F. Austin 24-14 at home Saturday night in front of a crowd of 6,047, according to UTEP officials.
Fans told ABC-7 they were excited to be back at the Sun Bowl for UTEP's first live sporting event at the stadium since the outbreak of Covid-19.
“It's amazing to be back in football. We’ve been waiting for a long time for this," said Miner fan Mark Mena.
UTEP was enforcing new game day policies, along with U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
Sanitation stations, restroom capacities, and more grab-and-go concession items were some of the measures put in place.
"I'm a teacher, so I know about all these safety measures and we have to do what we have to do to enjoy this atmosphere," Mena said.
It was a different kind of game day experience for many fans including Lulu Sanchez. Her son is in the Miner marching band, forced to stay in the stands and not perform on the field during halftime.
"This year feels different than last year because they were all marching through (the stadium)," Sanchez said. "We saw them everywhere and now they're all separated."
Some differences were good for fans. Many of them enjoyed the new renovations such as the GECU Terrace and the Club Seats.
UTEP will travel to Austin next Saturday to take on the Texas Longhorns out of the Big 12 Conference.
