Question from a UCF fan regarding your stadium...

[thespiritof1976]

First off, I love your stadium and the surrounding "landscape" and I hope UTEP can make it back to being one of the better mid-major football programs that they were for many years.

That said, are those "mountains" surrounding your stadium or are they glorified hills or plateau's ? In addition, does anyone know how the stadium was built into the side of these "rocks" or did the position of the stadium just happen to fit in perfect between them ? I don't care what anyone says, the fact that the stadium actually sits between them like that beats any other attraction that a stadium can have.

(FWIW, I have NEVER seen a mountain or snow in my 40+ years of life. It is life in Florida, I suppose. Heck, sometimes I think I am the ONLY person to have actually been born here in Florida and to have never left.)

Thanks all and Go Miners! (and UCF)

 

[USAFminersfan]

First off, I love your stadium and the surrounding "landscape" and I hope UTEP can make it back to being one of the better mid-major football programs that they were for many years.

That said, are those "mountains" surrounding your stadium or are they glorified hills or plateau's ? In addition, does anyone know how the stadium was built into the side of these "rocks" or did the position of the stadium just happen to fit in perfect between them ? I don't care what anyone says, the fact that the stadium actually sits between them like that beats any other attraction that a stadium can have.

(FWIW, I have NEVER seen a mountain or snow in my 40+ years of life. It is life in Florida, I suppose. Heck, sometimes I think I am the ONLY person to have actually been born here in Florida and to have never left.)

Thanks all and Go Miners! (and UCF)

Good questions that I've wondered myself.

On a side note, I wish UTEP had half the level of success and support that UCF is currently experiencing. My friend is finishing his PhD here at UCF (he's a mathematician) and we decided to tailgate with the Math Society on campus this week. That was a hell of a party

 

[FeralFelidae]

That said, are those "mountains" surrounding your stadium or are they glorified hills or plateau's ? In addition, does anyone know how the stadium was built into the side of these "rocks" or did the position of the stadium just happen to fit in perfect between them ? I don't care what anyone says, the fact that the stadium actually sits between them like that beats any other attraction that a stadium can have.

I would call them "foothills" of the greater Rocky (Franklin) Mountains that are definitely mountains that tower over the city. The elevation is generally increasing as you approach the mountains.

The Sun Bowl was built in a natural bowl formation in the rocks. It just happened to be a good fit for a bowl stadium.

 

[unihorn]

Parts of the mountains had to be blasted out to make it fit.

Since the beginning, fans without tickets have climbed the surrounding mountains to watch for free (and get hand jobs from their dates).

 

[homeskillet75]

Parts of the mountains had to be blasted out to make it fit.

Since the beginning, fans without tickets have climbed the surrounding mountains to watch for free (and get hand jobs from their dates).

On national TV no less.

 

[utep2step]

I would call them "foothills" of the greater Rocky (Franklin) Mountains that are definitely mountains that tower over the city. The elevation is generally increasing as you approach the mountains.

According to some geologist at UTEP, the Franklin Mountains are not part of the Rocky Mountain Chain as so publicly claimed. She said the geological time frame for both are different. One thing is that the western slopes were an ancient sea bed and the eastern slopes are what rose from the upheaval millions and millions of years ago (you can see the strata of igneous and types of xenomorphic rocks embedded within the igneous strata on the east slope).


I took "Rocks for Jocks" at UTEP.

 

[FeralFelidae]

According to some geologist at UTEP, the Franklin Mountains are not part of the Rocky Mountain Chain as so publicly claimed. She said the geological time frame for both are different. One thing is that the western slopes were an ancient sea bed and the eastern slopes are what rose from the upheaval millions and millions of years ago (you can see the strata of igneous and types of xenomorphic rocks embedded within the igneous strata on the east slope).


I took "Rocks for Jocks" at UTEP.

Maybe. Wikipedia says the Franklins are the southernmost tip of the Rockies in the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Franklin_Mountain#Geology

 

[miner661]

Maybe. Wikipedia says the Franklins are the southernmost tip of the Rockies in the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Franklin_Mountain#Geology

Then it must be true.

 

[utep2step]

Maybe. Wikipedia says the Franklins are the southernmost tip of the Rockies in the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Franklin_Mountain#Geology

Perhaps you have a point?

 

[thespiritof1976]

Perhaps you have a point?

Well, I'll be...

 

[Cube Jack]

The Sun Bowl was built in a "natural bowl" on campus near Kidd Field by El Paso County, who own the stadium and have it on a 99-year lease to UTEP for $1 per year. The university is required to release the stadium for events like the annual Sun Bowl game and civic events. When the county was building the Sun Bowl there was apparently some local complaints that UTEP should pay for its own stadium rather than bond funds that were approved by voters (I wasn't born yet, but my father and uncle told me about it years ago) . I was just in there earlier tonight and a friend of mine from Louisiana who currently lives in Houston was admiring the view of the surrounding mountains from field level. I've been in there so many times that I'd stopped noticing, but was reminded that he's right.

 

[MinerInWisconsin]

The Sun Bowl was built in a "natural bowl" on campus near Kidd Field by El Paso County, who own the stadium and have it on a 99-year lease to UTEP for $1 per year. The university is required to release the stadium for events like the annual Sun Bowl game and civic events. When the county was building the Sun Bowl there was apparently some local complaints that UTEP should pay for its own stadium rather than bond funds that were approved by voters (I wasn't born yet, but my father and uncle told me about it years ago) . I was just in there earlier tonight and a friend of mine from Louisiana who currently lives in Houston was admiring the view of the surrounding mountains from field level. I've been in there so many times that I'd stopped noticing, but was reminded that he's right.

UTEP has owned the Sun Bowl since 2001, I believe.

"
Agreement Reached On Ownership Of Sun Bowl Stadium
Published September 28, 2001

The EL PASO TIMES’ Jodi Garber reported that the El Paso County Commissioners Court and the Univ. of TX System Board of Regents "came up with an agreement that will give ownership" of Sun Bowl Stadium to the Univ. of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). In return for the stadium, UTEP will provide the county "with 10 full scholarships every year, a check for $1,600 – the appraised value of the stadium – and a guarantee that the Sun Bowl football game will be allowed to take place and that local schools will have access to the stadium." Since being built in ‘61, the stadium was leased to UTEP for $1 per year. Conflict between UTEP and the county began last year, when UTEP "asked the county for permission" to expand and improve the stadium. In return, the county "asked to use the stadium a few days each year … but UTEP refused." The deal still must be formally approved by the UTEP Board of Regents (EL PASO TIMES, 9/25).