It's official per AP, UTEP can go by initials at first reference.

[Nugget 07]

No more, no mas Texas-El Paso, we are "UTEP." As for Kentucky Fried Texas-San Antonio, they have go Texas-San Antonio 1st reference and can do KFCU or utsa, I mean, at 2nd reference.

 

[Rot]

It's about time.

 

[utep2step]

It's about time.

It's been like that for years. I had a relative who worked in the OU sports department back in the early 2000's. The NCAA had a meeting at Norman and said that they were not supposed to be using "OU", they are "The University of Oklahoma at Norman". They specifically pointed out UTEP and they can use "UTEP" and have legal authority to do so..