County Commissioners confirmed a resolution for the historic UTEP vs. Army game at their Sept. 12 meeting at 9:30 a.m. at the El Paso County Courthouse. Representatives from UTEP and Fort Bliss were in attendance.
The University of Texas at El Paso and the United States Army have shared a significant bond for more than a century, and their history will have a new chapter on Sept. 17, 2016 when football teams from UTEP and the United States Military Academy meet at 5 p.m. in Sun Bowl Stadium for the first time.
The relationship started in 1914 when the State School of Mines and Metallurgy was located on the property of the former El Paso Military Institute, adjacent to Fort Bliss. Fire resulted in the school’s relocation to its current campus, but the school’s tie to the military only grew stronger. It provided training to military personnel during both World Wars. In 1948, UTEP’s ROTC “Fighting Miner Battalion” program started developing leaders.
Today Fort Bliss is a regional economic driver and critical community collaborator as the home of America’s Tank Division and the largest military training area in the United States. On the UTEP campus there are almost 2,900 active duty military, veterans and military affiliated members.
The One City, One Team match will be more than a football game. Community members are invited to celebrate and commemorate a collaborative military partnership. It will be a celebration of our nation’s military and their presence in the borderland.
Festivities will include Army displays, commemorative giveaways, video tributes, recognitions and a halftime enlistment ceremony. Everyone is invited to be a part of this historic football game.