UTEP athletics announces fan-designed basketball jersey contest

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Athletics, in collaboration with Athletics Admin and Uni Watch, proudly announces the UTEP Miners Fan Edition Uniform Design Contest – a groundbreaking opportunity for fans to create the first-ever fan-designed jersey for men’s basketball in the NCAA.  Fans can submit jersey designs for both the UTEP men’s and women’s basketball teams. 

The winning designers will each receive a $1,250 cash prize, and have their design showcased in a conference game during the 2025-26 UTEP men’s and women’s basketball seasons.

In collaboration with Uni Watch, the leading organization dedicated to the study of athletic aesthetics, UTEP welcomes submissions that include different themes, nicknames, or creative flair.  Contestants can submit a maximum of two (2) designs and are encouraged to provide a brief explanation if their design incorporates an alternative concept.  This special edition jersey is for a uniform top and shorts.

“We are thrilled to announce our first-ever fan-designed uniform contest for men’s and women’s basketball,” UTEP Vice President and Director of Athletics Jim Senter said.  “This gives fans the opportunity to tap into our rich basketball history and put their own unique stamp on the program.  We can’t wait to see the designs, and we look forward to putting the winning submissions on an Adidas uniform this upcoming season.”

Submissions or questions can be sent to jersey@utep.edu.  Athletics Admin, an athletic contract and consulting service, will be assisting in this campaign.  Submissions will be accepted through Tuesday, July 8th.

"UTEP is a powerful brand with a rich, championship-winning history," said KC Smurthwaite, COO and consultant at Athletics Admin.  "We're thrilled to partner with Miner Athletics and excited to see the submissions that will help elevate the UTEP brand through the first-ever men's basketball fan design contest."

All qualifying design submissions are subject to appearance on Uni Watch and UTEPMiners.com for promotional purposes.

The contest is open to designers of all levels.  Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, August 5th.  Finalists will be promoted on UTEP Athletics’ social media platforms, providing creatives with the opportunity to showcase their brand and work to hundreds of thousands of followers.  Finalists will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with rules and guidelines consistent with UTEP policies and procedures prior to the announcement.

The winning set of uniforms will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the UTEP men’s and women’s basketball programs.

Contest Rules

• The design must incorporate UTEP Athletics branding.  Creativity is encouraged, but the design should remain professional and collegiate.  Click here for the UTEP brand identity guide. 
• Permission to use UTEP branding is given for the limited and sole purpose of creating a design and submitting it for this specific contest and not for any other purpose.
• Variations or alterations to any current or former logos will not be accepted. The winning design must comply with NCAA men’s and women’s basketball uniform guidelines.
• UTEP Athletics reserves the right to make design modifications to the winning design as needed to comply with conference and NCAA regulations.
• Alternate theme names are approved for submission (i.e. 915 or Texas Western).  It's highly encouraged to provide an explanation if the submission is an alternate name.
• Two (2) submissions per individual.
• Submissions should be sent to jersey@utep.edu. 
• UTEP Athletics staff and student-athletes will choose one winning design for both men’s and women’s basketball.
• All jersey designs will become the property of UTEP Athletics.
• Designs may be submitted as .jpg, .png or .pdf files. Please keep to one (1) file/attachment if emailed. Please provide any social media handles or websites for promotional purposes.
• Submissions will be accepted through Tuesday, July 8th.