DEFEND THE DON
EL PASO, TEXAS – The UTEP men's basketball team will square off against long-time rival NM State in El Paso on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and fans are encouraged to pack the Bear's Den for the Battle of I-10, wear orange and help the Miners DEFEND THE DON.
"It's going to be a great matchup between two teams that are very talented and play very hard," UTEP coach Rodney Terry said. "Having been exposed to two games in the Battle of I-10 last season, I know how much the rivalry means to these two communities. We need El Paso to come out, pack the Don and provide us with a tremendous homecourt advantage on Nov. 12."
Tickets are going fast for the Nov. 12 matchup, as the Miners aim for their first sellout in the Haskins Center since February of 2016 and their first sellout of the Battle of I-10 since December of 2004. Fans can track the progress toward the sellout, pick their seats and purchase tickets on the new microsite WWW.DEFENDTHEDON.COM.
Fans can also join the Battle by adding the hashtag #DEFENDTHEDON to their social media content, with the best posts appearing on the microsite daily up until the big game.
UTEP has also partnered with Nike to produce official DEFEND THE DON long and short sleeve shirts with the likeness of the Miners' Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. The shirts will be available for purchase via a Nike Team Store web link, to be announced.
Anticipation is high for this year's matchup as the Miners are expected to be among Conference USA's most-improved teams and the Aggies have appeared in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. UTEP returns three of its top four scorers from the 2018-19 squad while introducing a heralded recruiting class that features six Division I transfers.
UTEP Basketball Season Tickets are on sale now, starting at just $160, by calling (915) 747-6150 or visiting WWW.DEFENDTHEDON.COM. Single-game tickets and five-game mini plans are also available by visiting WWW.DEFENDTHEDON.COM or by calling (915) 747-5234. The mini plans start at just $44 depending on which five games fans select.
Tipoff for the Nov. 12 game is at 7 p.m. It marks the 218th meeting between the Miners and the Aggies.
