ESPN College Football

The direction of UTEP's football program changed drastically in the off-season, and in a very short time.

No sooner had athletic director Bob Stull landed wayward head football coach Mike Price, fans learned that Conference USA was willing to take a chance on the beleaguered program.

For nearly 40 years, UTEP called the WAC home. After the great split of 1996, the Miners were suddenly the oldest member of a league that has had more schools come and go than WAC commissioner Karl Benson cares to count.

In some ways, the Miners' big move allowed Price's past transgressions at Alabama to fade away to little more than a whisper. Now, folks in El Paso are preparing to say goodbye to their WAC home of 37 seasons and hello to Conference USA in the fall of 2005.

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