UTEP Miners football looking to pack Sun Bowl for 2023 home opener against Incarnate Word
As the UTEP football team will open the home portion of its 2023 schedule Saturday night against Incarnate Word, the Miners will do so under the gaze of a team it aspires to emulate, the 10-win team of 1988 that goes down as one of UTEP's best ever.
The current Miners are looking to establish a tradition of their own, hoping to pack out the Sun Bowl for a second consecutive opener against a Cardinals team that is a powerhouse in the second-level Football Championship Subdivision.
In addition to celebrating the 35th anniversary of one of UTEP's greatest teams, the night is dubbed Miners Magic/80s night and UTEP will play in 1988 throwback jerseys.
As of a week ago, UTEP had sold 25,147 tickets for the 45,971-seat Sun Bowl, though they aren't updating that number until Friday. Typically, sales slow after an opening loss, which UTEP suffered at Jacksonville State 17-14 in what was officially a Week 0 opener. The best estimation is that they have now sold more than 27,000 tickets.
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UTEP sold out its opener last year against North Texas moments before the scheduled kickoff, though those fans spent an hour in the concourse as the game was delayed by lightning. There shouldn't be a repeat this year. It should be in the low 90s or high 80s by the 7 p.m. kickoff, but there is no rain in the forecast.
Fans in the Sun Bowl Saturday will see UTEP take on an Incarnate Word team from San Antonio that advanced to the FCS semifinals a year ago.
The Cardinals' quarterback, Zach Calzada, was at Texas A&M in 2021 and engineered the upset of No. 1 Alabama.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP looking to pack Sun Bowl for home opener against Incarnate Word
