UTEP Miners

UTEP Enjoys Second Consecutive Record-Breaking Year For Licensing Royalties

8/18/2026 1:08:00 PM

EL PASO, TEXAS – For the second year in a row, UTEP has generated record numbers for licensing royalties. The Miners posted over $351,000 in gross licensing royalties during the 2025-26 academic year, an increase of four percent from the previous record tally of nearly $338,000 in the 2024-25 campaign.

UTEP has now set a school record for licensing royalties in three of the last four years. UTEP typically earns anywhere from 12-16 percent from the sale of every licensed product.

"Our licensing success is a testament to the hard work that our Deputy AD JeffDarby and Associate AD Jon Washington have put in to grow these numbers," UTEP Vice President and Director of Athletics Jim Senter said. "Their successful collaborations with the University of Texas Trademark and Licensing Office and CLC (Collegiate Licensing Company) have placed products in the marketplace that fans wanted to have."

Since 2022, UTEP has rolled out the '915' and 'Sun City' lines and a new collection inspired by "The Bear," legendary Miner basketball coach Don Haskins. New Texas Western (TWC) and vintage items have also been produced. UTEP also expanded its reach in the consumables market with a new beer (Deadbeach Brewery) and barbecue sauce (The Jank). The relaunch of EA Sports' College Football title in 2024 also had a significant impact on the licensing totals. More recently, UTEP introduced the first new iteration of iconic mascot "Paydirt Pete" since 1999.

"We are grateful for our partnerships with Paul Eikenberry at the University of Texas and Allison Roblin with CLC," Darby said. "They've supported our endeavors wholeheartedly and have consistently helped us identify new ways of growing revenue. Xochitl Meyer from the UTEP Bookstore has also been fully on board with what we've been trying to do, and they've been very successful as a result. We're still nowhere near where we'd like to be, but we keep taking steps in the right direction and want to continue to move the needle."

"UTEP's licensing revenue growth has been extremely impressive over the past several years, clipping a 55 percent increase from 2024 to present," Eikenberry said. "The Miners have such a passionate fanbase, and it's always fun to help build and deliver meaningful merchandise campaigns for them at retail. Jim, Jeff, and Jon continue to demonstrate exceptional athletics leadership, and my office is honored to partner with them every step of the way."

The UTEP Bookstore had a big year with a 16 percent increase in sales. UTEP's top apparel licensees for 2025-26 were Knights Apparel, Champion, Colosseum, Advanced Online and Homefield. The top non-apparel licensees were EA Sports, Jostens, Logo Brands, WinCraft and Spirit Products.

UTEP has also earned awards from CLC in two of the last four years, with the 915 collection being recognized in 2023 and the Sun City line being honored in 2026.

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