The hour before a Los Tigres del Norte sellout at Don Haskins Center, Mesa Street does something it does with uncomfortable regularity — it stops. El Paso's most chronically congested road runs right along the eastern edge of the UTEP campus, and when 12,000 fans from both sides of the border converge on a building tucked against the foot of the Franklin Mountains, the single lane into the Glory Road parking garage fills in the first hour. Everything north and south of the campus roundabouts backs into a single-file crawl.
After the show, it runs in reverse — an arena with a notoriously narrow concourse emptying 12,000 people onto the same two exits, then back onto the same two roads. A charter bus or party bus rental to Don Haskins Center sidesteps all of it: one vehicle, one campus approach, one curbside drop-off, and one staged pickup after the curtain call — while everyone else navigates permit-only lots and a post-midnight Mesa Street crawl.
Partybuselpaso.com connects El Paso groups to a large network of bus companies serving the area, so you can compare party buses, charter buses, and minibuses — along with online rates — in under 30 seconds. No account required, no obligation. Fill out the quick online form or call 806-416-5022 any time to get pricing for your Don Haskins Center trip in about a minute.
For the full picture of El Paso group transportation, the El Paso group transportation services page covers every occasion.
Why Rent a Party Bus or Charter Bus to Don Haskins Center?
Don Haskins Center sits inside a university campus carved into the base of the Franklin Mountains, and that geography doesn't give an inch on event nights. Two corridors carry essentially all traffic to the building: Mesa Street along the east side and Sun Bowl Drive through the campus roundabouts to Glory Road. The Glory Road parking garage — city-owned, directly across the street from the arena — charges $10 per car on event days and is consistently the first and most obvious option for visitors.
That also makes it the first lot to fill. Most UTEP surface lots around campus require permits, leaving general visitors with metered spaces on Mesa Street that carry a two-hour maximum limit. For the biggest concerts at Don Haskins Center — shows like Chayanne or Alejandro Fernández that draw fans from El Paso and Ciudad Juárez alike — the demand for those spots is effectively double what the venue capacity alone would suggest.
For a group of 20 or 30 people coming from different parts of El Paso, the car-by-car approach multiplies every one of those problems. Twenty cars need twenty parking spots. Twenty people need a plan for who gets home.
Twenty cars hit the same roundabouts when the show lets out. One El Paso party bus or charter bus rental to Don Haskins Center solves all of it: one boarding location, one curbside drop at the arena, one staging spot for the return trip, one flat rate split across the group. When you break that number down per person, it routinely beats the combined total of gas, $10 garage spots, and post-midnight surge fares everyone paid going their separate ways.
Call 806-416-5022 any time to compare options — or use the quick online form and see rates in under 30 seconds.
Charter Bus and Party Bus Drop-Off at Don Haskins Center
The East Entrance via Mesa Street is the confirmed accessible drop-off point at Don Haskins Center, per the UTEP Special Events venue page. Groups with mobility needs access this entrance from Mesa Street, where Guest Services staff are positioned during events. For general group curbside drop-off, Glory Road — the frontage road that runs directly past the building — is the primary approach for charter buses and party buses coming in from the Sun Bowl Drive campus roundabouts.
One thing every group coordinator should know before they arrive: Don Haskins Center is built into a hillside on its north and west sides. If you approach from the Sun Bowl Stadium direction, only the roofline is visible — the entrance is genuinely easy to miss on a first visit. The cleanest approach for large vehicles is off I-10 Exit 18A (Schuster/Sun Bowl), east on Sun Bowl Drive through the campus roundabouts, then a right turn onto Glory Road.
The main arena entrance will be on your left, with the parking garage directly across the street. For charter bus staging and oversized vehicle logistics specific to your event date, contact UTEP Special Events at (915) 747-5481 before you arrive — the venue coordinates large vehicle access event by event.
Charter bus drop-off: East Entrance via Mesa Street for accessible groups; curbside on Glory Road for general groups. Approach via I-10 Exit 18A (Schuster/Sun Bowl) → east on Sun Bowl Drive → right onto Glory Road. Confirm staging for your event with UTEP Special Events before your date.
Charter Bus and Party Bus Parking at Don Haskins Center
Unlike a standalone stadium with a dedicated oversized vehicle lot, Don Haskins Center sits within the UTEP campus and coordinates large vehicle parking on a per-event basis through UTEP Special Events. There is no published fixed bus parking lot the way you'd find at a stadium like AT&T Arena — the arrangement depends on the specific event, the size of your vehicle, and how much lead time you've given the venue. For that reason, confirming bus staging directly with UTEP Special Events well before your event date is the right move.
The UTEP Parking and Transportation page covers the campus lot system for general visitors. A support team is one call away at 806-416-5022 to help you sort out the approach plan for your specific event.
Don Haskins Center Parking for Visitors
The parking picture at Don Haskins Center is less complex than a major NFL stadium, but it's also more constrained. A university campus setting means most of the lots on and around the building are permit-required, and the one readily accessible public parking structure — the Glory Road Garage — is city-owned with a finite number of spaces. Here's what's available.
| Option | Cost | Notes | First to fill? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glory Road Parking Garage | $10/car (event days) | City-owned; directly across from arena; card payment only, no cash | Yes — fills early on sellouts |
| Free surface lots (north of arena) | Free | North of Don Haskins Center off Sun Bowl Drive; first-come, first-served | Yes — gone early for major events |
| Mesa Street meter spaces | $5/1st hr, $2 each add'l; $13/day max | 2-hour maximum limit; payment via ParkMobile; impractical for full concerts | Limited supply, strict time cap |
| UTEP surface lots (GR2, SB7, others) | Permit-required | Most lots require UTEP permits; some open for select events through Goldmine Collective | N/A for most general visitors |
| ME1 lot (Mesa Street) | Varies | ADA-accessible parking; valid disabled placard required | N/A — reserved for eligible visitors |
The critical planning detail: when the Glory Road Garage fills on a major concert night, there is no large overflow structure nearby that opens up. The fallback is the free lots north of the arena — a longer walk, still first-come, still limited. Metered spots on Mesa Street cap at two hours, which makes them useless for a concert that starts at 8:00 PM and runs until midnight.
UTEP has contracted with Goldmine Collective to manage parking for select special events at the venue; unauthorized parking in surrounding business lots is actively towed.
A charter bus bypasses this entire conversation: one staging arrangement confirmed in advance, no individual cars competing for $10 spots, and no post-show scramble back to a lot. Before your event, check the current lot assignments on the UTEP Parking and Transportation page to confirm what's open for your specific date.
Getting to Don Haskins Center: Routes, Distances, and Timing
Every road into Don Haskins Center eventually funnels through two corridors: Mesa Street running north-south along campus and I-10 Exit 18A (Schuster/Sun Bowl) for groups coming from the freeway. Mesa Street is consistently ranked among El Paso's most congested roads, and I-10 east of downtown regularly sees above-average evening-peak delays. On regular game nights, that congestion is workable.
On a sold-out concert night pulling fans from El Paso and Juárez simultaneously, Mesa Street and the Sun Bowl Drive roundabouts can back up before the doors open.
| From… | Approx. distance | Off-peak drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown El Paso | ~2 miles | 7–10 min |
| El Paso International Airport (ELP) | ~8 miles | 15–20 min |
| West El Paso / Sunland Park area | ~10–12 miles | 15–25 min |
| East El Paso / Horizon City | ~15–25 miles | 20–35 min |
| Las Cruces, NM | ~47 miles | 45–55 min |
Add 20–30 minutes to those estimates on concert nights. Groups coming from the east side take I-10 West to Exit 18A; groups already in the central corridor cut north on Mesa Street. Either way, the last half-mile funnels through the same campus roundabouts on Sun Bowl Drive.
For Las Cruces groups — and there are plenty of them for the Latin concerts at Don Haskins Center — a full charter bus is the natural call: a single pickup along I-10 East in Las Cruces, a straight 47-mile run to campus, and one curbside drop at Glory Road. A Las Cruces party bus rental to Don Haskins Center is a straightforward trip by any measure.
For groups flying in from out of town, a bus from El Paso International Airport to Don Haskins Center is the cleanest solution to arrival day logistics. One pickup at baggage claim, one straight run on I-10 West to Exit 18A, and the group arrives at the arena curbside — no coordinating separate rideshares at the terminal, no hunting for spots on the campus side. The El Paso airport transportation page covers how the airport pickup works, and the El Paso International Airport ELP shuttle guide goes into detail on terminal logistics.
Sun Metro and the Glory Road Transfer Center
Don Haskins Center has one of the better public transit setups of any El Paso venue. The Sun Metro Glory Road Transfer Center sits directly across the street from the building — routes converging there include Routes 11, 14, and 15 along with the Mesa BRIO rapid bus (Route 205). The Sun Metro streetcar also loops through the UTEP campus and connects to the downtown corridor.
For current schedules and route maps, Sun Metro has a trip planner that works well for single-person logistics.
For groups, public transit gets complicated fast. Coordinating 20 or 30 people to board the right route at the same time, from the same origin, and arrive together before the opening tip-off is harder in practice than it looks on a route map — especially when return service is limited late on a concert night. A 15–35 passenger minibus rental from your hotel or starting location to Don Haskins Center and back puts the entire group on one schedule, without anyone navigating transfer points or standing at a stop on Mesa Street at midnight.
Don Haskins Center Transportation Options Compared
This is a bus-comparison website, and the honest answer is that a private bus isn't the right call for every group. Here's how the options actually stack up for a Don Haskins Center trip.
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Door-to-door? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter bus / party bus rental | One flat rate, split by group | Yes — one vehicle, one arrival | Yes — curbside Glory Road or East Entrance | Groups of 15+; concert nights; airport pickups; Las Cruces runs |
| Sun Metro (Routes 11, 14, 15, BRIO) | $2.50 base; free transfers | Only if fully coordinated | Strong — Glory Road Transfer Center is steps from the door | Individuals and small groups already near the route |
| Rideshare (Uber / Lyft) | Per car each way; surge after events | No — multiple cars, multiple ETAs | Depends on drop-off window at campus | 1–4 people; no group coordination |
| Drive and park | $10 garage per car + gas per car | No — each car handles itself | ~5-min walk from Glory Road Garage | Very small groups arriving early enough to claim a spot |
For one or two people already on the Mesa Street corridor, the Route 15 or BRIO connection to the Glory Road Transfer Center is genuinely convenient and affordable. Once your group grows to the point of booking multiple cars — paying separate $10 parking fees, waiting on separate rideshares, or watching surge pricing spike after a sold-out Latin concert — the math tips decisively toward one bus. That's the group the rest of this guide is built for.
What Size Vehicle Does Your Don Haskins Center Group Need?
Don Haskins Center draws every kind of group: small fan groups for a Miners rivalry game, large family parties for a concert, corporate outings, and school groups. Here's how the vehicle options break down for a Don Haskins Center run.
| Vehicle | Seats | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van / Sprinter limo | Up to 14 | Small groups, corporate transfers, VIP arrivals | Premium leather, USB charging, tinted windows |
| Party bus (15–50 passengers) | 15–50 | Concert nights, birthday groups, bachelorette parties | Built-in bar, LED lighting, Bluetooth sound, flat-panel TVs |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | 15–35 | Mid-size fan groups, game day runs, hotel-to-venue shuttles | Reclining seats, powerful A/C, overhead storage |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Large fan groups, Las Cruces concert charters, corporate outings | Reclining seats, climate control, WiFi, power outlets, onboard restroom, undercarriage bays |
For most UTEP Miners game nights — a fan group of 20 to 30 — a minibus is typically the right fit. It handles the campus roundabouts comfortably and gets the group back home without the overhead of a full coach. For the sold-out Latin concert nights, a full charter bus makes more sense for groups of 40 or more, especially when people are coordinating from different parts of El Paso or from Las Cruces.
ADA-accessible vehicles are available through the network — note your needs in the quote request and the right vehicle can be arranged. Browse the full vehicle lineup to see specs and passenger counts side by side.
El Paso Charter Bus and Party Bus Rental Prices to Don Haskins Center
To give you a planning baseline: a minibus rental in El Paso typically runs $200–$250 per hour on weekdays and $200–$275 per hour on weekends, with day rates from around $1,100 to $2,150. A 25-passenger party bus runs $275–$375 per hour on weekend nights. A full 56-passenger charter bus generally runs $200–$350 per hour either way, with day rates from $1,350 to $2,850.
The real rate moves with your date, how long you need the vehicle, and how far you're traveling — a quick round trip from downtown El Paso is a different quote than a Las Cruces pickup for a concert that runs until midnight.
Split across the group, a bus almost always beats the per-person cost of separate cars. Fifteen people driving to a show, each paying $10 for the Glory Road garage, is $150 in parking alone — before gas, before the return trip, before anyone draws the short straw on who stays sober. One minibus for fifteen people at a flat hourly rate covers parking, the return trip, and the logistics in one number.
Check the El Paso party bus prices page for a detailed breakdown, or call 806-416-5022 and get a quote in about a minute.
A Concert Night Example
To give you an idea: a 24-person group books a 25-passenger party bus for a Santana concert at Don Haskins Center. Pickup at 6:30 PM from a hotel near downtown El Paso, curbside on Glory Road by 7:00 PM — well ahead of the 7:00 PM door time. The group skips the Mesa Street hunt entirely.
The bus stages nearby for a 10:30 PM post-show pickup. A 4-hour weekend rental at that vehicle size could run approximately $1,100–$1,500 total — roughly $46–$63 per person, with parking and the return trip already in the number.
Events at Don Haskins Center in 2026
Don Haskins Center runs close to year-round. The two pillars are UTEP Miners basketball and a concert calendar that skews heavily toward Latin music — which is exactly what you'd expect from a venue in a city where the audience extends across the Rio Grande.
UTEP Miners Basketball at Don Haskins Center
Both the UTEP Miners men's and women's basketball programs call Don Haskins Center home through March. UTEP joined the Mountain West Conference effective July 1, 2026, meaning the 2026–27 season marks their Mountain West debut — a step up in competition that will draw additional fan interest to the arena when the schedule tips off in November. Both programs play 16+ home games per season.
The marquee game for many fan groups is the Battle of I-10 rivalry against New Mexico State, always a near-sellout that brings out the Miner Maniacs student section in full force. For schedules and tickets, visit UTEP Miners Athletics. For El Paso sporting event transportation, the El Paso sporting event party bus rental page covers game-day logistics in more detail.
One note on the arena's narrower concourse: it backs up at halftime, and the post-game exit when 11,000+ people funnel onto two corridors is genuinely slow. A bus staged nearby solves the return leg cleanly — the group agrees on a pickup window before anyone heads in, and the bus is right there when they walk out rather than waiting for a surge-priced rideshare to arrive.
Concerts and Major Shows at Don Haskins Center in 2026
The 2026 concert calendar at Don Haskins Center is heavy on Latin music and major touring acts from August through November. Confirmed headliners include Shinedown with Coheed and Cambria (August 2), Santana and The Doobie Brothers – Oneness Tour (August 16), Los Tigres del Norte (September 11), Alejandro Fernández: de Rey a Rey (September 19), Chayanne's Bailemos Otra Vez Tour (October 1), Mon Laferte (October 23), and Don Omar (October 25). For the Latin acts especially, plan on cross-border demand that stretches well beyond what the Glory Road Garage alone can handle — these shows pull audiences from both El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, and the campus lots fill fast.
For the biggest 2026 shows, book group transportation as soon as your date and headcount are confirmed. The available vehicle supply for major concert nights goes quickly. For El Paso concert transportation in general, the El Paso concert party bus rental page covers the full picture.
For the current event calendar and tickets, check the UTEP Special Events venue page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a charter bus drop off at Don Haskins Center?
The confirmed accessible drop-off point is the East Entrance via Mesa Street, per UTEP Special Events. For general group curbside drop-off, Glory Road — the road directly in front of the building — is the primary approach after following the Sun Bowl Drive campus roundabouts. Charter bus staging and oversized vehicle logistics specific to your event are coordinated by UTEP Special Events; contact them before your date to confirm the plan.
How much does parking cost at Don Haskins Center?
The Glory Road parking garage — city-owned, directly across from the arena — charges $10 per car on event days (card payment only, no cash). Free parking is available north of the arena off Sun Bowl Drive on a first-come basis. Mesa Street meter spaces run $5 for the first hour and $2 for each additional hour, with a two-hour maximum — impractical for a full concert or game.
Most UTEP surface lots require permits. Review the UTEP Parking and Transportation page for current event-day lot availability.
How do I get to Don Haskins Center from I-10?
Take I-10 Exit 18A (Schuster/Sun Bowl), then head east on Sun Bowl Drive through the UTEP campus roundabouts. At the second roundabout, turn right onto Glory Road. At the next stop sign, turn left to continue on Glory Road — Don Haskins Center will be on your left, with the parking garage directly across the street.
Avoid approaching from the north or west (Sun Bowl Stadium side): the building is embedded in a hillside and only the roofline is visible from that direction.
How far in advance should I book a bus to Don Haskins Center?
For regular UTEP game nights, 2–4 weeks of lead time is workable. For major concerts — especially the Latin headliners like Los Tigres del Norte, Chayanne, and Alejandro Fernández that draw cross-border audiences — book as soon as your group is confirmed. Those events saturate the available vehicle supply quickly.
Call 806-416-5022 right now to lock in your date before the right-size vehicle is gone.
Is there public transit to Don Haskins Center?
Yes. The Sun Metro Glory Road Transfer Center is directly across from the arena, served by Routes 11, 14, and 15 and the Mesa BRIO rapid bus (Route 205). Check Sun Metro for current schedules.
For groups of 15 or more, a private party bus or charter bus rental is more practical than coordinating everyone through public transit from the same origin.
What is the capacity of Don Haskins Center?
Don Haskins Center holds 11,892 for basketball and up to 12,567 for end-stage concerts. The venue has 11,659 permanent seats — 40 of which are wheelchair spaces — with portable seating configurations available for concerts, family shows, and other events.
Are ADA-accessible buses available for Don Haskins Center trips?
Yes. ADA-accessible vehicles are available through the network. Note your accessibility needs in the quote request and the support team can match your group to the right vehicle.
At the arena, the confirmed accessible entry is the East Entrance on Mesa Street; accessible parking is in the ME1 lot on Mesa Street with a valid disabled placard. For venue ADA accommodations, contact UTEP Special Events.
Can we combine a Don Haskins Center trip with other El Paso stops?
Absolutely — multi-stop itineraries are easy to arrange. The bus is reserved as a block of hours, so adding a dinner stop before a Miners game or continuing to another part of El Paso after the show is just a matter of building it into the itinerary when you request your quote. If your group is also planning a visit to Southwest University Park or the Sun Bowl on the same El Paso trip, those guides cover the drop-off and parking details at each venue.
Who is Don Haskins, and why is the arena named for him?
Coach Don Haskins (1930–2008) built UTEP into a national power from 1961 through 1999, winning the 1966 NCAA championship with a starting lineup of five Black players in the title game — a decision that changed college basketball. The arena was originally named the Special Events Center when it opened on February 3, 1977; it was renamed in Haskins' honor in 1998. The building carries that history, and the home-court energy on rivalry nights reflects it.
Book Your Don Haskins Center Bus in El Paso Today
Whether your group is coming for a UTEP Miners rivalry game, a sold-out Latin concert night, or a trip in from Las Cruces or El Paso International Airport, Partybuselpaso.com makes it easy to compare party buses, charter buses, minibuses, and Sprinter vans from a large network of bus companies serving El Paso — all in under 30 seconds, no account required. Call 806-416-5022 any time or fill out the quick online form to get pricing for your Don Haskins Center trip today.
Don Haskins Center — 151 Glory Road, El Paso, TX 79968 — Phone: (915) 747-5481
