The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners athletic identity centers on Paydirt Pete, a pickaxe-wielding miner mascot whose visual history spans more than six decades. The current mark, unveiled July 1, 2026, modernizes the mascot while drawing directly from the popular “retro” logo of the 1980s. The redesign coincided with UTEP’s official move into the Mountain West Conference on the same date.[1]
Design and History
Paydirt Pete’s origins trace to 1962, when Texas Western College civil engineering student Marshall Meece drew a pick-wielding miner for football program covers at the request of sports information director Eddie Mullens. In 1973, athletics director Jim Bowden asked Meece to rework the drawing, and a year later a naming contest drew more than 500 entries. The winning name, “Paydirt Pete,” was submitted by physics professor Michael Blue.[2]
The mascot has undergone numerous visual iterations. In 1983, UTEP graduate Bernie Lopez designed new trademarked versions of the character, depicting a puff-chested, intimidating miner.[2] The character switched to a prospector-style logo in 1999 under athletics director Bob Stull.[2] That 1999 iteration remained the standard for nearly three decades until the 2026 refresh.[1]
UTEP partnered with Torch Creative, a Dallas-based sports logo design studio, to create the new Pete. According to deputy athletic director Jeff Darby, planning began more than a year before launch, with a focus group from Athletics, Student Affairs, and marketing developing a creative brief. The brief required Pete to keep his signature mining pick, a full beard and mustache, and a classic miner safety hat with a light.[3] The design team’s primary goal was to modernize the retro Pete marks of the 1980s and early 1990s while accounting for how the logo would perform across smartphones, social media, and stadium video boards.[3]
UTEP athletics director Jim Senter described the intent: “We wanted to give Paydirt Pete a fresh look while not straying too far from the vintage mark that our fans love.”[1] A costumed version of the new Pete was scheduled to debut at UTEP football games beginning in September 2026.[1]
Beyond the mascot, UTEP athletics has used a separate wordmark featuring a pickaxe forming the “T” in “UTEP.” This mark, shown in orange, blue, and silver, became the primary look of UTEP athletics in 2026 when the collection of Paydirt Pete logos was discontinued as the primary athletic mark.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The miner imagery reflects the university’s founding heritage. UTEP was established in 1914 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, and the mascot “portrays the tradition of the school being a mining school,” according to William Franklin “Willie” Quinn, a member of the UTEP Heritage Commission.[2] The name “Paydirt” itself is mining terminology for striking valuable ore.[5]
The official colors are Orange (PMS 151 C), Dark Blue (PMS 282 C), and Silver (PMS Cool Gray 5 C), as listed by UTEP Athletics.[6]
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