The University of Texas at El Paso will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1966 NCAA Championship with several events and exhibits.

Back in March 19, 1966, in College Park, Maryland, UTEP (formerly Texas Western College) beat top-ranked Kentucky 72-65 in the title game. The reason this game made history was because legendary Coach Don Haskins started five African-American players, the first time that it had been done in an NCAA basketball championship game, changing college athletics forever. After that 1966 championship, college teams throughout the South began aggressively recruiting black athletes, ending years of segregation.

The Office of Student Life at UTEP has organized two events so that the El Paso community can relive the team’s accomplishment.

UTEP will host the screening of two related films Wednesday, February 3, in the Union Cinema in Union Building East on the first floor.

Movies:

  • 2002 documentary “And the Wheels Turned: The 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship” by UTEP’s Cotton Productions beginning at 6 p.m.
  • 2006 Disney film, “Glory Road,” based on Texas Western’s 1966 championship season, will be shown at 7 p.m.
  • Both events are free and open to the public.

Exhibit:

  • “The Road to Glory” is a commemorative exhibit open now through Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, in the Union Gallery on the second floor of Union Building East. The artifacts come from UTEP’s Heritage House and University alumni who have loaned items such as posters, newspaper clippings and autographed basketballs from their personal collections.
  • Wednesday, February 3 at 5 p.m. on the second floor of Union Building East and is free and open to the public.

Orange Fridays:

  • UTEP is asking everyone including businesses, and schools across El Paso to help celebrate by wearing orange on Fridays to honor the ’66 Champs in anticipation of the commemorative 50th anniversary game that will be played at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, in UTEP’s Don Haskins Center.
  • Fans are also encouraged to take pictures of their orange-clad fellow students or co-workers and post them using #Miners1966.

Basketball Game:

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