EL PASO, Texas – UTEP volleyball extended its winning streak to seven matches after defeating UC San Diego, 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20), Saturday afternoon inside Club Memorial to finish undefeated at the Borderland Classic. The Miners improve to 7-1 on the season, while the Tritons fall to 2-6.
MATCH SUMMARY
UTEP jumped out to a 2-0 lead before UC San Diego responded in the third set, but the Miners answered in the fourth to close out the match and complete the tournament sweep. UTEP finished the afternoon with a .336 hitting percentage and limited the Tritons to a .216 clip.
LEADERBOARD
Luvina Oguntimehin led all players with 14 kills, while Daisy Voskuhl followed with 11. Ema Uskokovic and Mackenzi Davis each added 10 kills.

#afternoon #saturday

Week 2 of the 2026 college football season rolls on with quarterback John Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners visiting the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
The Sooners are coming off a 51-0 rout of UTEP in the season opener, while the Wolverines stunned Western Michigan 13-12 on a controversial Hail Mary after one second was put back on the clock.
Here's how to watch the Sooners-Wolverines game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
More: What will OU football OL look like vs Michigan? Latest injury updates
Watch Oklahoma vs UTEP live with SEC Network+

#michigan #Sooners #wolverines

George Pickens was the biggest story the Cowboys had going through the early part of the offseason as his contract situation worked its way to an eventual franchise tag, but then the first mandatory workouts arrived, and Pickens showed up with a smile on his face and proceeded to have a strong August camp.
If that has Cowboys fans excited, so should Pickens' thoughts on where he and CeeDee Lamb rank among the league's receiving duos. Hint: He thinks they rank highly.
More: After Oklahoma rout, UTEP football team faces different kind of pressure
The Dallas Cowboys' injury report is pretty bare, which is good for an opener, while Quinnen Williams is growing into wearing the captain's patch. Here is Dallas' day.
More: Dallas Cowboys schedule 2026: Teams, time, how to watch 2026 NFL games

#ceedee

The Oklahoma Sooners hit the road for the first time in 2026 on Saturday afternoon. OU heads to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Big House in Week 2.
Michigan went 9-4 last year, but the Wolverines have changed a lot since then. Former head coach Sherrone Moore was fired at the end of the regular season, with Biff Poggi serving as the interim head coach. Michigan hired former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham as the new head man on December 26th.
Whittingham coached Utah from 2005 to 2025, posting a 177-88 record as the head man of the Utes. His teams won three conference ****** les and played in three more conference ****** le games. The Wolverines were looking for a stable presence in the wake of everything that happened with Moore and his predecessor Jim Harbaugh, and they certainly got that in the veteran Whittingham. He'll square off with Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables in a huge game for both programs.
Michigan won at home last week against Western Michigan, 13-12. That victory came in controversial fashion, as the Wolverines were given an extra second on the clock after it appeared the game was over. Michigan used that second to throw a Hail Mary that was caught for the win. After escaping by the slimmest of margins, the Wolverines will certainly play a lot better on Saturday than they did last week.
On offense, Venables will be matched up against offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who came over with Whittingham. Beck has led strong offenses at New Mexico in 2024 and at Syracuse in 2023. His scheme is know for a stout rushing attack that also runs the quarterback a lot, something the Sooners got a heavy dose of last week against UTEP.

#head #whittingham #last #Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners come to Ann Arbor for the first time in history. Oklahoma is 2-0 all-time versus Michigan, but will they remain undefeated after the game on Saturday?
Here's a look at Oklahoma ahead of the showdown against Michigan.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables won two national championships as defensive coordinator of Clemson and is considered one of the best defensive minds in the nation. Venables is 33-20 at Oklahoma but has struggled in bowl games, going 0-4. In Oklahoma's lone playoff appearance under Venables, they lost 34-24 to Alabama in the CFP First Round last season.
Oklahoma beat UTEP 51-0 last week, holding their opponent to 2-of-13 on third-down with just 198 yards of total offense. Oklahoma's offense had 401 total yards and quarterback John Mateer threw for three passing touchdowns.
Passing offense: 69

#offense #defensive

Northern Kentucky University's men's basketball program announced its full slate of non-conference games with the Norse set to host five games at Truist Arena.
Northern Kentucky opens the 2026-27 season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, taking on UTEP as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon. The Norse will stay in the Mount Rushmore State for a matchup with South Dakota on Nov. 4. As previously announced, NKU then heads to College Station, taking on Texas A&M on Nov. 6. It marks the first time the Norse have played Texas A&M since the 2017-18 campaign. Northern Kentucky wraps up its four-game road trip to open the season at Chaifetz Arena, where they'll take on Saint Louis on Nov. 10.
Both Texas A&M and Saint Louis reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Then, the Norse start a four-game homestand leading into Thanksgiving, opening their home schedule on Nov. 14 against Central Michigan. Last season, NKU beat the Chippewas by 24 in Mount Pleasant. Northern Kentucky will then host Georgia Southern on Nov. 23 and Bellarmine on Nov. 25 as part of a a multi-team event with those teams playing each other at Truist Arena Nov. 24. Northern Kentucky's matchup with Georgia Southern will be the first in program history, while this season's matchup vs. Bellarmine marks the 80th all-time, with the Norse leading the series 45-34.
NKU has four out-of-conference games in December, taking on Defiance on Dec. 8, before facing South Carolina State on Dec. 11, both at Truist Arena. The Norse wrap up their non-Horizon League schedule by taking on ETSU in Johnson City on Dec. 15, before traveling up to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take on Harvard on Dec. 20. It'll mark the first time that the Norse and Crimson have faced off, while the Norse traveled to ETSU last season.

#taking #texas

NORMAN — Following a Week 1 shutout of UTEP, ninth-ranked Oklahoma heads out onto the road for a marquee Week 2 matchup.
The Sooners will travel to face No. 16 Michigan at 11 a.m. CT Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
The Wolverines defeated Western Michigan, 13-12, after a 47-yard Hail Mary on the final play of the game. The play occurred after officials added one second to the game clock.
OU, on the other hand, handled the Miners with ease. The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions and held UTEP to 198 total yards.
Quarterback John Mateer looked comfortable within an offense that utilized multiple tight ends for most of the contest. He completed 11 of his 17 pass attempts for 225 yards and was pulled late in the third quarter.

#utep #oklahoma

The newly renovated Memorial Gym on the UTEP campus, home to the university's volleyball team, debuted to a sold-out crowd Sunday, Aug. 30.
Memorial Gym underwent extensive renovations in the offseason as part of the Club Memorial project. 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 volleyball team is looking for a third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.
The Texas Western Miners, now UTEP Miners, gave El Paso fans their first look at the new Memorial Gym at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, 1961, when they opened their 1961-62 season in the 4,300-seat gym.
The gym was completed just a few days before the home opener. The Miners returned from their three-game opening road trip, having only a few practice sessions on the new playing surface.

#memorial #sunday

On Saturday, Arch Manning opened the Texas football season on a positive note.
Manning completed 74.1% of his passes while throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 59-7 win over Texas State. The senior's 305 yards were the most for a Texas quarterback in a season opener since Sam Ehlinger's 426-yard, five-touchdown outburst against UTEP in 2020.
Manning was intercepted once. He also took one sack.
Texas Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers (2) runs the ball 45 yards in the first quarter the Longhorns' game against the Texas State Bobcats at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 5, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)
MORE: Arch Manning may not talk much publicly but he's found his voice as Texas' leader

#manning #utep

Alabama Crimson Tide football printable 2026 schedule with dates, times and TV lineup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Even with significant roster turnover, Alabama has high hopes after coach Kalen DeBoer led the Crimson Tide to the national quarterfinals last season.
Receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, known as Ryan Williams his first two years, is back as potentially one of the nation's most explosive receivers. He's the only returning offensive starter for the Crimson Tide. Keelon Russell won the starting quarterback job in fall camp and will replace Ty Simpson.
Linebacker Yhonzae Pierre is back to lead what should be a stout defense. He led Alabama with 14.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and nine quarterback pressures last season. Zabien Brown, the team's top cornerback, had two interception returns for touchdowns a year ago.
MORE: Brunt: Oklahoma rolls past UTEP, but things aren't perfect heading into Michigan showdown

#back

The Oklahoma Sooners started the 2026 college football season with a dominant performance against the University of Texas at El Paso Miners. The Sooners showcased dominant performances on offense and defense, winning 51-0.
One of the stars of the night was quarterback John Mateer. He looked really good in the game, completing 11-of-17 passes for 225 yards and three scores with no interceptions. Mateer is coming off an up-and-down season in 2025 in which he injured his thumb early in the season. But on Friday he looked healthy and showcased why Oklahoma was so high on him last season.
Mateer spoke about his performance in his postgame press conference.
"I thought it was pretty clean," Mateer said via Oklahoma's Own. "There are a couple of plays that you want back, obviously. I threw a little stop route to Trell (Harris) into the ground on a forced RPO there. Overall it was clean, and I thought the guys played really well."
That ****** sment fits the night. Mateer was not perfect, but he avoided the costly mistakes that hurt Oklahoma at times last season and consistently connected on explosive plays. The UTEP game was an ideal way for Mateer to begin his final season at Oklahoma.

#mateer #really

The 2026 college football season is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners will kick things off at home on Friday night against the UTEP Miners. OU's roster has been mostly set since the transfer portal madness died down in January, but the madness of eligibility lawsuits in college football has given the Sooners the opportunity to make some very last-minute additions to their roster.
According to multiple reports, former Boise State defensive lineman Braxton Fely has been granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA. That TRO allows him to enter the transfer portal and play this season.
Fely was invited to an NFL minicamp, but he never signed an NFL contract. He plans to transfer to and play for Oklahoma in 2026. Fely spent four seasons with the Broncos. He was listed at 6-foot-1 and 296 pounds last season, and he was a starter at defensive tackle for Boise State. Fely was a second-team all-conference player for each of the last two years, and was a starter for three straight years.
Of course, Fely's status still depends on a preliminary injunction hearing, a process college football fans have become all too familiar with this offseason. The same goes for defensive lineman and incoming Arkansas transfer Danny Saili, who had an update in his case on Thursday as well. Saili committed to OU out of the transfer portal in August, having never pursued the NFL.
According to multiple reports, Saili was also granted a temporary restraining order on Thursday in a separate ruling from Fely's case. His situation is also pending a preliminary injunction hearing. However, Saili now appears on OU's official roster, and head coach Brent Venables stated that he is on the team and practicing. Saili has been allowed to go through team activities, but not play, at least until he was ruled eligible to play.

#saili #fely #play #college

Ex-Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten to make college coaching debut as Oklahoma **** istant originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
NORMAN, Okla. -- Former Dallas Cowboys star Jason Witten will take another major step in his football journey on Friday night in his first game as Oklahoma's tight ends coach.
Witten played tight end for 17 years in the NFL, and the 11-time Pro Bowler ranks fourth all-time in league history with 1,228 receptions. He'll experience his first game as a college **** istant on Friday night when the Sooners host UTEP.
Oklahoma hired him in January, and he quickly made an impression on offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
"I mean, he's the ultimate teammate," Arbuckle said. "I made it really, really clear to him on multiple occasions like, 'Hey if you see something or maybe you disagree with someone, I'm not one to just let it sit back. Tell me about it. Let's talk about it.'"

#witten #Friday

The time for talking is finally over, as the Southeastern Conference kicks off the 2026 season this weekend, with games slated for Thursday through Sunday.
Missouri gets the conference started in Week 1, hosting a non-conference contest against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which opened its season with a 35-15 win over Morehouse. The Tigers will be without Ahmad Hardy, but the offensive unit still has plenty of playmakers to dominate the Golden Lions.
The Oklahoma Sooners moved their season opener against UTEP to Friday, giving them an extra day to prepare for a road trip to the "Big House" next weekend. Meanwhile, 13 teams in the conference are slated to kick off on Saturday, with Ole Miss wrapping things up against No. 20 Louisville at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday evening.
Here are picks, score predictions and where you can watch every SEC football matchup of Week 1:
Game prediction: Missouri 63 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7

#week #bluff #weekend #slated

The Oklahoma Sooners open the 2026 college football season in one more day. You smell that? Smells like opportunity. The Sooners have put together a roster with the potential to make some magic happen this season. The Oklahoma Sooners are one of the most talented teams in the SEC and are considered a dark horse to win the conference this year.
First up for the Sooners are the UTEP Miners, a team that's won just five games total in the last two seasons. On paper, the Sooners are the better team. They're a more experienced team on both sides of the football and are looking to build off of their 10-2 season and College Football Playoff appearance in 2026.
Each week, the staff at Sooners Wire will provide their predictions for each Oklahoma Sooners game. So to kickstart the 2026 season, here are the first Sooners Wire Staff Predictions of the year.
Oklahoma gets the season started off with a blowout win, as UTEP is likely the easiest W on the 2026 schedule. OU will look to pound the rock in this game and give the running backs and offensive line a dose of confidence before the Michigan game. The Sooners will just want to see efficiency and good decisions from John Mateer. On defense, look for the secondary to have a big day and try to force turnovers, while the front seven should be suffocating for the UTEP offense. All in all, a sound tune-up win in Norman where plenty of depth players should see playing time.
Oklahoma 45, UTEP 3

#team #game

College football is officially back, and after a handful of games took place last Saturday during Week 0, the rest of the country gets back on the field from Thursday to Monday during Week 1. It's the first full college football weekend of the season, and the long offseason is finally over.
Here at Sooners Wire, we'll certainly have our eyes all over the season-opening game for the Oklahoma Sooners, which will take place in Norman on Friday at 7 p.m. against the UTEP Miners. However, with a full slate of games for the first time since late November, there will be plenty of intriguing matchups to keep an eye on during Labor Day weekend.
Here are the top five games to watch in Week 1.
Louisville and Ole Miss will face off at a neutral site at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee for the Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff. The Cardinals are viewed as a dark horse team in the ACC heading into this season, and they'll have a big stage to make an early statement in non-league action. Head coach Jeff Brohm and quarterback Lincoln Kienholz will look to get off to a fast start in 2026.
On the other sideline, star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss leads the Rebels after a run in the College Football Playoff last year. It's Pete Golding's first full season as head coach, and his team has very high expectations this fall. The whole country will be watching, and the Rebs need to avoid the early setback.

#Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners released their first official depth chart for the start of the 2026 college football season. The Sooners will open the season Friday at 7 p.m. against the UTEP Miners, and now we can see what the starting lineup will look like.
The Sooners entered training camp with several position battles underway, and some of those will continue into the season. But it looks like the Sooners have figured out arguably the most important one, the offensive line.
Though the projected starter at center, Jake Maikkula, won't be available for the start of the season, it looks like Oklahoma's found their guy, at least for this week. Ryan Fodje, a former four-star and top 10 offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class, will get the start against UTEP.
Fodje started six games for the Sooners as a true freshman, helping Oklahoma at both guard and center last season. Coming into training camp, he looked to be Oklahoma's starting right guard, but flipped to left tackle to fill in for Michael Fasusi, who was limited with an injury. While Fodje was at left tackle, true freshman Noah Best stepped in at right guard and received rave reviews.
Best is locked in as an "or" starter with veteran guard Heath Ozaeta. But the rest of the offensive line is set with Fasusi at left tackle, Eddy Pierre-Louis at left guard, Fodje at center, and E'Marion Harris at right tackle. It's a veteran group that will set the tone for the Oklahoma Sooners' offense in 2026.

#left

The 2026 college football season is now just nine days away, and the Oklahoma Sooners are set to embark on what could be a magical season. Coming off a 10-2 year and a playoff appearance, the Sooners have the talent and the leadership to go make another run this season.
There were few questions about the roster entering fall camp, and few still remain as Oklahoma readies for its Week 1 matchup with the UTEP Miners. The roster that head coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy have constructed has the talent to make a lot of noise this season.
Certainly, Oklahoma has something to prove with the way 2025 ended in their playoff loss to Alabama. If Oklahoma can avoid some of the mistakes that cost them, as it did against Texas, Ole Miss, and the Crimson Tide, and if it can find a running game to provide some balance to the offense, OU will be in good shape.
As we get ready for the start of the 2026 season, here's our final depth chart projection ahead of Week 1.
John Mateer

#make

Fall camp is over, and the 2026 season is just over a week away from kicking off for the Oklahoma Sooners. OU has one of the more talented rosters in college football. They'll have an offense that should be significantly improved and a defense ready to replicate its 2025 performance.
But like most programs across the country, the Sooners leave fall camp with a few remaining questions. It's not that there isn't talent available at certain spots; it's only a matter of clarity. We don't know the direction the coaching staff will go in the first couple of weeks of the season.
So as we get ready for 2026, here are a few lingering questions remaining from fall camp.
Starting center Jake Maikkula is out in the short term, which means the Sooners need to find their center for the UTEP game and maybe for the Michigan game. While Caleb Nitta was brought in to be the backup, the Sooners may be better off rolling with true freshman Noah Best. Best has received rave reviews this summer.
He spent time playing center in spring ball and has worked mostly at right guard in fall camp with Ryan Fodje flipping to left tackle to fill in for Michael Fasusi. Best's work with the first team offense is important because it has gotten him more physically prepared for the defensive fronts Oklahoma will see in Week 2 vs. Michigan and during SEC play. But will the Sooners feel more comfortable with the talent and upside of Best or a more veteran option like Nitta?

#Sooners #best #center #nitta

Texas A&M's 2026 season opener vs. Missouri State is just two weeks away, and after 11 preseason practices, the Aggies' revamped roster, including 17 transfer portal additions, will replace 15 outgoing starters and over 20 offseason departures, which, on paper, looks like a rebuild to the naked eye.
However, among the 15 starters who have left the program, quarterback Marcel Reed, who is entering his second full starting season, is well equipped to match his career-high 3,169 passing yards and 25 touchdowns last season, but needs to cut down on his turnover issues after throwing 12 interceptions, which was also a career high.
Reed's numbers were nearly identical to Texas starting quarterback Arch Manning last season, but the national perception that the Aggie signal caller has not improved as a passer, despite his 2025 numbers, was on full display in the SEC Coaches All-SEC Football Team, as Reed failed to make the first, second, or third teams.
Still, the Tennessee native is completely focused on proving the rest of his doubters wrong, starting with Missouri State, who just announced its starting quarterback for the season opener on Sept. 5, as senior Skyler Locklear will return under center after passing for 1,418 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions during the 2025 season.
Texas A&M's defense, which now includes Northwestern transfer Edge Anto Saka and one of the deepest secondaries in the country, will have its hands full against Locklear and the rest of the Missouri State offense, hoping to score early to have any shot at keeping things close after halftime. This will be Skyler Locklear's first season with the program after transferring from UTEP.

#full

It'll start with a conference renewal game against UTEP.
Then, the return to the Pit of a Lute Olson-disciple begging fans to boo him.
Then it's right into a midweek island hop to Hawaii before wrapping up in Reno — with a possible conference ****** le on the line — against a pair of former Lobo coaches and their new pack of wolves.
UNM on Tuesday released the preliminary version of its 18-game 2026-27 season Mountain West men's basketball schedule. Combined with the 11 nonconference games already announced, we now know 29 of 32 regular season games for Eric Olen's second season as head coach.
The league does not yet know when its media rights partners will be selecting which games to broadcast when, meaning and of the 18 conference games revealed Tuesday could still be shifted on day to accommodate television broadcasts (Tuesday games can shift to Wednesdays, Saturday games can shift to Friday night).

#utep #lute

The UTEP men's basketball team finished their two-game tour of Juarez with a sweep, as a day after beating Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, the Miners beat the professional team Los Indios 118-78.
Jace Whiting scored 21 points in Tuesday's win over the Indios, Leif Moeller added 18, and Isaiah Ward scored 10 points with 17 rebounds.
More: UTEP men's basketball heads to Mexico for exhibition games in August
The games were played in UACJ's gym and were added to the exhibition schedule last month. UTEP will be back in Mexico, though in a different part of it, when they head to Cancun over Thanksgiving for the Cancun Challenge.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquistelpasotimes.com; Bretbloomquist on X.

#Basketball #team #scored #points

Kickoff times for New Mexico's homes games against Mercyhurst and UTEP have been released.
The Lobos will kick off against the Lakers (Sept. 12) and Miners (Oct. 3) at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on MW+, the Mountain West's new subscription-based streaming service.
Start times for UNM's games at Hawaii (Oct. 17) and San Jose State (Oct. 31) have yet to be announced.
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreiderabqjournal.com or via X at lenaweereider.
Lobo football 2027 schedule

#games #lobos #sept

The UTEP men's basketball team's Mexican travels picked up another destination, as the Miners are headed to the Cancun Challenge.
The Cancun Challenge, which is Nov. 24-25, is a four-team Thanksgiving tournament where they will play the College of Charleston and either Kennesaw State or Eastern Michigan.
Two weeks later, they conclude the multi-national event at Don Haskins Center when they host North Dakota (not to be confused with new Mountain West member North Dakota State) on Dec. 5. That tip-off time has not been set but likely will be 7 p.m.
The Nov. 24 game against Charleston will tip at 6:30 p.m. MT, while the Nov. 25 game against the Kennesaw/Eastern Michigan winner is TBA.
"The opportunity to play in the Cancun Challenge is a great honor for UTEP basketball and we look forward to being tested against three quality opponents," UTEP coach Joe Golding said. "Many great teams have played in this MTE (multi-team event) in the past, and we're excited to add UTEP's name to the list. It's another great chance to play on a big college basketball stage early in the season with a brand-new team."

#Basketball #team #great #charleston

With the 2026 edition of SEC media days wrapping up in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, the regular season is just over a month away. The Oklahoma Sooners will kick off fall camp in a couple of weeks, all in preparation for the season-opener against UTEP on September 4th.
Head coach Brent Venables, quarterback John Mateer, defensive lineman Taylor Wein, and offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis were the quartet that represented OU during their availability on Monday. While the selections of Mateer and Wein were fairly expected, it was the choice of Pierre-Louis that raised more than a few eyebrows in Sooner Nation. Venables was asked about Pierre-Louis' inclusion in the group, and he glowed about the third-year guard.
"Eddy, he's an alpha," Venables said. "Eddy is a guy that's had to work incredibly hard. I think he was the top-rated guard by many recruiting outlets coming out of high school. Eddy had some things he needed to work on fundamentally, from his body standpoint, flexibility, things of that nature. Eddy has been somebody that has shown up in the facility from the day he got to Norman, Oklahoma with tremendous gratitude."
Venables had previously pointed out that it was difficult to choose the three players who would represent the Sooners in Tampa, lauding the leadership in his locker room.
"One of the many reasons that gets us excited about this year's team is finding the three guys and telling several other guys that were more deserving they weren't going to make the cut," Venables said. "The depth of the leadership we have in our locker room right now is as good as we've had, better than we've probably had here in the five years at Oklahoma. Really excited about that."

#eddy #wein

Former New Mexico State women's basketball coach Jody Adams made international players an important part of her recruitment strategy. Her successor has taken that to a new level.
The Aggies announced their first signing class under new coach Adeniyi Amadou on Tuesday, June 23. It includes 11 newcomers, of which six are transfers, and five are freshmen.
All five freshmen are from Amadou's native France. Four of the six transfers are also French, with two others hailing from Serbia and Latvia. Guard Emma Christiano, a Las Cruces native, is the only returner and NM State's only American player as of now.
Amadou is no stranger to recruiting internationally. Three of the four transfers that are from France were recruited by Amadou to Rhode Island while he was an **** ociate head coach for the Rams. Two of those three, forward Aimee Michel and center Lilyana Fontcha, entered the transfer portal with do-not-contact tags, a designation that typically signifies a player already has a destination in mind.
MORE AGGIES SPORTS: New Mexico State and UTEP to play twice per season in both men's and women's basketball

Brian Kelly has been the head coach at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and LSU.
Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel reported June 24 that Kelly, who was fired eight games into LSU's 2025 season, is expected to be part of a three-man broadcast booth doing Mountain West Conference games for CBS.
Former Mountain West football members Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State recently joined the Pac-12. The Mountain West added North Dakota State, Northern Illinois and UTEP to join Air Force, Hawai'i, Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, UNLV and Wyoming.
Kelly was UC's head coach from December 2006 to December 2009, when he left to become the Fighting Irish's head coach. His record with the Bearcats was 34-6, and he led UC to appearances in the 2009 Orange Bowl and 2010 Sugar Bowl.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Brian Kelly, ex-UC Bearcats coach, to call Mountain West games for CBS

In an effort to be more "Fan-First," UTEP athletics is trying out a true first. They are opening up their kickoff time for their Oct. 17 Sun Bowl game against San Jose State to a fan vote.
As part of "Innovation Day," fans can go to a link (https://utep.questionpro.c... and vote on their preference for a 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. kickoff.
While UTEP routinely polls its season-ticket holders for kick time preferences, this is the first time it has put its kickoff time to a fan vote.
More: UTEP football releases 2026 Mountain West schedule: See games
"In the spirit of innovation and with a Fan-First mentality in mind, we'd like for our fans to set the time for the game," UTEP athletic director Jim Senter said. "This is the first step in providing a more interactive experience for Miner Nation when we take on our old WAC rivals, the Spartans!"

Deer Creek football player Gage Gibbons announced his commitment to Air Force on social media Thursday.
A speedy receiver in the 2027 class, Gibbons holds offers from several Division-I schools, including Arkansas State, Army, Cornell, Navy and UTEP, among others.
The 5-foot-8, 175-pounder is coming off a breakout junior season for Deer Creek, which went 3-8 and lost to Yukon 24-7 in the first round of the Class 6A-I playoffs.
Gibbons — who was No. 23 on The Oklahoman’s initial Super 30 rankings of the state’s top prospects in the 2027 class — finished this past season with 61 receptions for 682 yards and five touchdowns.
In the spring, he won his second straight Class 6A state ******* le in the 100-meter dash after recording a time of 10.32 seconds in the finals.

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up a pair of commitments on Sunday in the 2027 recruiting class. First, it was wide receiver Malahn Green out of St. Louis. The Sooners then added offensive lineman Jaxon Lawler out of Amarillo, Texas.
Lawler is a three-star offensive lineman in the class, choosing the Sooners over offers from Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, North Texas, Air Force, and UTEP, among others. He'd also been in contact with SMU, Texas Tech, TCU, and Columbia.
The Sooners added a physical offensive lineman who looks to punish opponents. He moves well and will be a force in the running game. Lawler plays both ways, starring along the defensive line for his high school team. He's got a good first step and is physical at the point of attack. He drives his feet and plays with a relentless motor.
Lawler is the sixth offensive lineman the Sooners added to the class, joining Cooper Hackett, Kaeden Penny, Luke Wilson, Tyson Ross, and Isaac Coughran.
Name