After bits of information on the non-conference schedule continued to leak over the past month, the UTEP men's basketball 2024-25 schedule has now been officially completed, as announced on Wednesday.

Below is the full schedule that features 13 non-conference games and 18 CUSA matchups:

Let's jump into early takeaways

Exhibition Game at New Mexico

As one of the top mid-major programs in the region, the Lobos will offer a preseason test for the Miners. UTEP had already traveled to the Bahamas in the summer to play a pair of prep teams.

New Mexico finished 26-10 last season and made the NCAA Tournament as an 11th seed before bowing out in the first round. The last time the Miners faced the Lobos was in 2021, when UTEP beat UNM at The Pit, 77-69, during the first season of Joe Golding at the helm.

Richard Pitino versus Joe Golding? I'm all in, even if this game doesn't count on paper.

Late November West Coast Swing Will Tell Us About This Team

UTEP will pay a trip to Southern California and Las Vegas in November, which will serve as a challenging road swing for the team.

Last year, UTEP went 1-2 in their west coast non-conference slate. They upset Cal in the SoCal Challenge (75-72), but dropped back-to-back games against Bradley and Loyola Marymount.

The Miners will return a home-and-home series at UC Santa Barbara (11/20), whom the Miners defeated 89-76 at the Haskins Center in 2023. Then, they will compete in the Ball Dawgs Classic in Vegas, facing the likes of San Jose State (11/25), Long Beach State (11/26) and UNC Greensboro (11/27).

The toughest opponent on paper out of the MTE appears to be UNC Greensboro. The Spartans finished 21-11 last year under Mike Jones and bring back a solid roster in 2024-25.

Road Test at High-Major Louisville

Although the Cardinals went 8-24 in a bad 2023-24 season, they have a new head coach that is looking to shake things up. Pat Kelsey, who went 58-12 over the past two seasons at Charleston, took things over at Louisville and he is coaching up a veteran squad.

They will lean on senior guard Chucky Hepburn and fifth year senior forward Kasean Pryor for leadership. They boast other promising scorers like Terrence Edwards Jr., J'Vonne Hadley, Koren Johnson and Noah Waterman.

All of this to say, UTEP's got a good matchup on Dec. 11. The opportunity to play a historic program like Louisville will bode well for Golding and the squad for the season.

Billy Gillispie Returns to El Paso

Former UTEP coach and current coach for Tarleton State Billy Gillispie will be making his return to El Paso on Dec. 16.

Tarleton State finished 25-10 last season. Due to health problems, Gillispie stepped away from the hardwood during a significant stretch of last year. Current Miner Devon Barnes is also a transfer from Tarleton State and will get a chance to play against his former coach in this game.

Repeating as Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational Champs Won't Be Easy

The Miners will have some difficulty repeating as Sun Bowl Invitational champions in 2024. Their first game is a manageable matchup against Jackson State (12/20). But their second matchup (Akron/Yale) will be a challenge.

Akron won the tournament in 2016 and they finished last year 24-11. Their head coach John Groce has put together a notable mid-major program, as he has a 94-59 overall record and 63-25 over the past three seasons. They finished third in the MAC in 2023-24. Yale made the 2024 NCAA Tournament and beat Auburn, 78-76, in the first round of the tournament. Head coach James Jones has four NCAA Tournament berths under his belt with Yale: 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2024.

UTEP beat Norfolk St. and Wyoming, respectfully, in the 2023 WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational to earn the championship crown. Here's a challenging, yet intriguing opportunity to go back-to-back in their hometown tournament.