EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Volleyball's 2026 home opener against longtime rival NM State on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Club Memorial has officially sold out, marking the second consecutive season that the Miners have sold out their home-opening match.
A limited number of UTEP student tickets (300) can be claimed, while supplies last, on Sunday when gates open at 4:30 pm. UTEP students can obtain their free ticket by scanning a valid UTEP digital ID. They must enter through the UTEP Student Entrance, located on the West side of Memorial Gym.
All other entrances will also open at 4:30 pm on Sunday for the convenience of Miner fans.
The matchup continues a recent trend of strong attendance for Miner Volleyball. Memorial Gym has hosted some of the largest crowds in program history in recent seasons, including three all-time attendance records during UTEP's 2023 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) run and a regular-season record crowd against UCLA in 2025.
The sold-out crowd will be the first to experience a transformed Memorial Gym, which underwent extensive renovations during the offseason as part of the Club Memorial project. Completed in time for the 2026 campaign, the upgrades include new lower-level chairback seating, LED lighting, an upgraded sound system, Taraflex competition flooring, enhanced MinerVision production equipment and several additional fan experience improvements.
The renovations were made possible through the support of donors, led by a $1 million gift from longtime El Paso dentist Dr. Bob McFadden and additional community contributions that helped surpass the project's fundraising goal.
"I'm really impressed once again by El Paso, our university, our students, our administration and everyone involved with our marketing team for helping sell out our first home match of the season against our rival, NM State," Head Coach
Ben Wallis said. "There's a lot of excitement surrounding our program right now, and I think Club Memorial is a big part of that. It was both exciting and heartwarming to see the reaction from our donors and so many people connected to our program when we unveiled the new spaces this week. Everyone who comes into Memorial Gym this season is going to be impressed by the environment that's been created here, and Club Memorial has the potential to make this one of the most exciting places to play in the Mountain West Conference. Thank you to El Paso and everyone who continues to support UTEP Volleyball. We truly appreciate it. Now it's our turn to go put in the work, like we always do."
Sunday's rivalry match is expected to provide another electric atmosphere as the Miners open their home schedule and begin their first season competing in the Mountain West.
First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT at the Club.
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