UTEP Miners

Fundraising Goal Exceeded, Renovation Ready to Move Forward for UTEP's Memorial Gym

4/16/2026 10:52:00 AM

EL PASO, Texas – Widespread enhancements to UTEP's iconic Memorial Gym will become a reality following today's announcement that $1.6 million has been raised towards the project, surpassing the original fundraising goal of $1.5 million.

A total of $600,00 in donations has come in to support an initial gift of $1 million by longtime El Paso dentist Dr. Bob McFadden.

"Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Bob McFadden and the overwhelming response to his historic gift, we are able to move forward with a Memorial Gym renovation that will benefit our student-athletes and fans tremendously," UTEP Vice President and Director of Athletics Jim Senter said. "These improvements will make the gameday experience in Memorial Gym one of the best in the country, and befitting of an elite volleyball program."

"We are extremely grateful to all our amazing donors and supporters who have contributed to this project," UTEP coach Ben Wallis said. "I don't think there are many places in America that can raise over $1.5 million in a few months and surpass a goal so quickly. El Paso is a special place and we have special people who've gotten behind this project. We can't wait to start the renovations and, more than ever, we're looking forward to hosting matches here in historic Club Memorial!"

The work on Memorial Gym is scheduled to commence in May and continue through the summer, with completion in time for the start of the 2026 season – the Miners' first in the Mountain West Conference.

The scope of the project includes all-new:

Lower-level padded chairback seating
LED lighting
Upgraded sound system
State-of-the-art flooring, Taraflex
Weight rooms for both the indoor and beach volleyball programs
Upgraded Miner Vision production equipment to improve the streaming quality
Other visual enhancements

New lower-level seating is still available. Fans can purchase season tickets by contacting the Eisenberg Family Athletics Ticket Office by phone (915-747-UTEP) or email (tickets@utep.edu).

The UTEP volleyball program has racked up 52 victories over the last two seasons, winning the 2025 Conference USA regular season championship while appearing in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.

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