Not every college football decision has to come from the people in charge. UTEP decided to flip the script before its Oct. 17 game against San Jose State by asking fans to pick the kickoff time. The response was firm, and before long, there was a clear winner.

Brett McMurphy of On3 reported that UTEP’s game against San Jose State will kick off at 7 p.m. MT after the school let fans determine the start time. Last Tuesday, fans were asked to choose between four options – 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. Mountain Time, for the program’s “Innovation Night.” 

More than 2,300 people cast votes online, with the evening kickoff winning by a large margin. The 7 p.m. slot received 1,229 votes, more than 53% of the total. Afternoon slots combined for only 47%, meaning only 567 people picked the 1 p.m. option, while most voters preferred a night game. 

UTEP has asked fans for input before, but never on the clock. Past surveys touched on traditions and in-stadium features, not kickoff times. This vote marks the first time Miner Nation has been invited to set the start of a home football game, turning a routine schedule call into a shared decision.

Asking fans for feedback isn’t new in El Paso. What’s different this time is that the athletic department stepped aside and allowed the public to decide when the Miners would take the field. Deputy AD and Chief Revenue Officer Michael Levy said that approach shows what the program is trying to build as it enters a new era.

“We made this move to the Mountain West for our fans, so it’s only right to have the fans help shape their GameDay experience,” he said. “Thanks to the amazing response from Miner Nation, we are looking forward to squaring off against the SJSU Spartans at 7 p.m. under the lights of the Sun Bowl. We look forward to having the fans speak into more GameDay elements as we celebrate Innovation Night.”

Levy’s final line shows this wasn’t designed as a one-off publicity stunt. UTEP says fans can expect more Innovation Night announcements and additional opportunities to influence the game-day experience in the future. Considering the response, it’s easy to see why. More than 2,300 votes for a kickoff poll is a strong response for a first-of-its-kind fan vote at UTEP.

For the first time since 2021, every UTEP home game will be played on a Saturday. The Miners open their home schedule against Texas Southern on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m., host Oregon State two weeks later at the same time, and then welcome Mountain West opponents Nevada, San Jose State, Hawaii and Wyoming to the Sun Bowl. And the timing couldn’t be better.

UTEP enters a new conference with bigger expectations 

July 1 officially marked UTEP’s move into the Mountain West, ending the program’s two-decade stay in Conference USA. Moving to MW won’t make life any easier for the Miners, but there’s a growing belief that head coach Scotty Walden is building something worth watching. Just as importantly, the program is getting stronger financial backing.

Former UTEP football player Frank Sloan donated $1 million to the Miners, while Bobby and Randy Bowling of Tropicana Homes contributed another $500,000. Walden has also chosen to contribute, pledging 10% of his salary for the second year in a row. This year, that amounts to $80,000.

That kind of support can make a real difference. With more money available, UTEP is in a better position to recruit high school talent and compete for players in the transfer portal as it begins life in the Mountain West. Now the focus shifts back to the field. 

One of UTEP’s kickoff times won’t be remembered because administrators picked it. It’ll be remembered because the fans did. And if the Miners’ fan-first experiment continues to succeed, don’t be surprised if other programs start asking their supporters the same thing.