ADVERTISEMENT

Saturday's UTEP Football Game Will be Played With No Fans

Do any of you ever post on other schools message boards? Be interesting to hear how their fans are reacting to this wussy decision.
 
UTEP should never take a road game instead of q home game. Every school would try to complain about playing in EP. These schools wanted to play, then be a man and play the games.
Let's be fair. Go back to April 2020 and your college kid, who played for Univ. Of Buffalo (for shits and giggles) had a game in NYC would you be saying the same thing?

Dimel is being fair, he's saying fine but reschedule for a later date, otherwise forfeit.
 
There were options. UNT can fly into S.A. bus up Texas Hwy 90 or I 10 (hwy 90 is solo and quicker than you think) which is a few hours directly to UTEP campus. Avoid EP hotels and just gas up busses at Love's in Van Horn. Workers and OTR drivers drivers do this west texas route every day, I was one of them who did it for real estate. But these are college boys, so it is what it is.
 
Do any of you ever post on other schools message boards? Be interesting to hear how their fans are reacting to this wussy decision.
We’re the bad guys. We don’t understand what’s going on in our own city. We’re bitches for not playing the game in Denton.
 
So UTEP can fly to Louisiana literally on the same day that a hurricane hit, but UNT can not travel within their own state?

I also find it odd that UNT thinks that giving their players a “bye week” on a Halloween night will end up being safer than playing a game in EP where they could keep track of them as a part of a bubble travel squad. Giving a bunch of 18-22 year olds a bye week on halloween night sounds like a recipe for trouble.

UTEP is way past due to get some Covid issues on the team. It is a shame that UTEP will now have wasted 3 different Saturdays of perfect covid health without playing game(the bye week, So. Miss, and UNT). Obviously not their fault, just a shame that we missed out on those opportunities to play.

If the FIU game also doesn’t get played, then UTEP will be looking at going 9 weeks without playing a home game.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Rocketsr and EMA884
Let's be fair. Go back to April 2020 and your college kid, who played for Univ. Of Buffalo (for shits and giggles) had a game in NYC would you be saying the same thing?

Dimel is being fair, he's saying fine but reschedule for a later date, otherwise forfeit.
I get that. But all these schools and all the players said “let them play.” They all wanted the season to continue and they all knew the risk. Dimel and his staff, along with the players have been absolutely amazing because they have not had any COVID breakouts this season. If you want to play this game, precautions can be taken. You can charter a plane, you can bus them in earlier in the week, whatever. Even if El Paso had less cases you weren’t going to say “Hey guys, free afternoon, see you for warmups.”

Precautions can be taken to where the only people your team have major contact with is UTEP, and they have done nothing up to this point in the season to lead anyone to say they pose any risk for infection.
 
Why wasn't meeting in the middle and Playing at Grande Communication Stadium I
 
I get that. But all these schools and all the players said “let them play.” They all wanted the season to continue and they all knew the risk. Dimel and his staff, along with the players have been absolutely amazing because they have not had any COVID breakouts this season. If you want to play this game, precautions can be taken. You can charter a plane, you can bus them in earlier in the week, whatever. Even if El Paso had less cases you weren’t going to say “Hey guys, free afternoon, see you for warmups.”

Precautions can be taken to where the only people your team have major contact with is UTEP, and they have done nothing up to this point in the season to lead anyone to say they pose any risk for infection.
I agree precautions can be taken. Numbers should go down in over a month unless El Paso goes "full retard" and UNT will be on the hot seat to reschedule. But yes you are correct, CUSA teams were on record for "let's play" except ODU obviously so UNT has too "put up or shut up".
 
Only if UNT and CUSA had agreed to move next years game to El Paso. Playing in Denton three years in a row isn’t a fair plate for UTEP.

This year is about getting experience. There is no home field advantage in 2020. Apogee stadium is never an intimidating place to play regardless of the year. We aren't losing out on gate revenue since fans weren't going to be allowed anyway. The guys need to play games. Putting them in uncomfortable situations can only benefit the future. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by sitting at home Saturday.
 
This year is about getting experience. There is no home field advantage in 2020. Apogee stadium is never an intimidating place to play regardless of the year. We aren't losing out on gate revenue since fans weren't going to be allowed anyway. The guys need to play games. Putting them in uncomfortable situations can only benefit the future. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by sitting at home Saturday.
As a chess player I’m always thinking about 3-5 moves down the road. While playing over there this year seems like a good immediate move it does put our future program in an unfavorable situation.

UTEP is UNT’s biggest draw. The last two matchups in Denton we’ve provided them with their biggest draw from an FBS team. We’ve also lost by an average score of 49-18.

Nexts years game in Denton will probably be one of their biggest gates ever. If they wanted us to play in Denton this year they’ll have to pay a lot more than just our flights.

In all fairness had we played there this year, then the next two games in the series should be in El Paso, but I would settle for just the 2021 return game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MineroFanatico
This year is about getting experience. There is no home field advantage in 2020. Apogee stadium is never an intimidating place to play regardless of the year. We aren't losing out on gate revenue since fans weren't going to be allowed anyway. The guys need to play games. Putting them in uncomfortable situations can only benefit the future. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by sitting at home Saturday.

Kappy is right. If UTEP were to acquiesce and play in Denton, UTEP would not have a single home game for as long as COVID remains uncontrolled. EVERY team out there would threaten to cancel the game if played in El Paso.
 
As a chess player I’m always thinking about 3-5 moves down the road. While playing over there this year seems like a good immediate move it does put our future program in an unfavorable situation.

UTEP is UNT’s biggest draw. The last two matchups in Denton we’ve provided them with their biggest draw from an FBS team. We’ve also lost by an average score of 49-18.

Nexts years game in Denton will probably be one of their biggest gates ever. If they wanted us to play in Denton this year they’ll have to pay a lot more than just our flights.

In all fairness had we played there this year, then the next two games in the series should be in El Paso, but I would settle for just the 2021 return game.

Have you seen the Queens Gambit on Netflix?
 
Have you seen the Queens Gambit on Netflix?

Was gonna ask the exact same thing. My wife and I are only 4 episodes in but I’m hooked. It was well thought out and a well made series. Just wish she would watch more than one episode a night!!

Critical Thinking, with John Leguizamo,is a good movie that I saw about two weeks ago. Not as entertaining as Queen’s Gambit, but a cool true story involving chess.
 
Last edited:
Thinking about it for whole day and back yard beers of self isolation and reading Wilson's official response to this game could have been played and may burning question is this: Was UNT offered, considered, pondered travel routes directly to the Sun Bowl and then for their return home without even having to be in contact with a local citizen? My answer appears to be no, it does not appear UNT did.

There are flight + bus direct routes, bus routes or flight, direct shuttle to SB and back to EPIA and all contactless.

Like said above, UTEP risked a hurricane to play La Tech. Looks like CUSA brethren were not so committed to the season given all the braggadocio when the season was in doubt.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT