UTEP Football’s Final Game is Perfect for Friendsgiving

It turns out 2024 was NOT to be UTEP Football’s year.  With a record of 2-8, the Miners have only two games left. And one of them is against #10-ranked Tennessee.

The Miner’s final game is against I-10 rivals the New Mexico State Aggies on Saturday, November 30th in Las Cruces. I would like to make the case that a short drive up to Cruces could be the perfect end-cap for Friendsgiving weekend for El Pasoans.

For starters, the Aggies have an identical record as the Miners at 2-8. So, if there are any survivors from this Saturday's game in Knoxville, UTEP could have a real chance of winning.

Secondly, it’s only a 30-minute drive depending on where you live in El Paso.

Thirdly, and most importantly the Battle of I-10 falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

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“Friendsgiving” has been a part of holiday vernacular for over a decade. Wikipedia says Friendsgiving is “a Thanksgiving feast typically eaten prior to or instead of a family Thanksgiving dinner."

For many in El Paso, “Blackout Wednesday” or “Drinksgiving” is also an annual observance. There’s a Wikipedia entry for Blackout Wednesday. The idea is that you get together with friends who are back in town for Thanksgiving with their families.  You go out on Wednesday night, reconnect with friends, and drink an alarming amount of alcohol. Some El Paso bars, like Aceitunas, make B.O.W. their final night before closing for the winter.

It doesn’t usually work out this way but (and I’m just throwing out an idea here) this would be a great time to RESUME Friendsgiving. Ask your friends if they’d be interested in seeing a Miner game while they’re in town. If anyone remembers the conversation (it’s called Blackout Wednesday for a reason), you’ve got an extra day of catching up with your friends.

The schedule could look something like this:

Wednesday - Blackout with friends at a bar (please have a designated driver.

Thursday - Sober up so you look respectable for the main event with the family.

Friday - Recuperate from all the booze and food.

Saturday - Up to Las Cruces for the game. Sneak a flask in unless you like paying nine dollars for a beer.

Sunday - Visiting friends catch their flights home… but lucky you get ANOTHER day to recoup before going back to work on Monday.

Again, it doesn’t work out this way very often but this year you have another option for Friendsgiving…at Aggie Memorial Stadium.