The UTEP Miners have added the Southern Utah Thunderbirds to their 2024 football schedule, FBSchedules.com has learned.
A copy of the UTEP-Southern Utah football game contract was obtained from Southern Utah University via a state public records request.
UTEP will host Southern Utah at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, which will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools in football. The Miners will pay the Thunderbirds a $300,000 guarantee for playing the game, according to the copy of the contract.
Southern Utah competes in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and officially moves from the Big Sky Conference to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) on July 1, 2022. The Thunderbirds finished the 2021 season 1-10 overall and 0-8 in Big Sky action.
With the addition of Southern Utah, UTEP has tentatively completed their non-conference schedule for the 2024 season. The Miners’ other three non-conference contests are all on the road — at the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Aug. 31, at the Colorado State Rams on Sept. 21, and at the Tennessee Volunteers on Nov. 23.
UTEP is the second scheduled non-conference opponent for Southern Utah in 2024. The Thunderbirds are also slated to visit the Utah Utes on Thursday, Aug. 29 to open the season.
Football Schedules