The Border War is the name of a college rivalry between the athletic teams of the Colorado State University Rams and the University of Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls.

Background

Colorado State University is a public university in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the University of Wyoming is a public university in Laramie, Wyoming. The two campuses are around 65 miles apart via U.S. Route 287. Both teams have been inaugural members of the Mountain West Conference since 1999, and were previously both members of the Western Athletic Conference from 1968 to 1999.

Football

The football rivalry between the two schools dates back to Thanksgiving Day, November 30, 1899. In the first ever matchup between the two schools and the first game that Colorado Agricultural (now known as Colorado State) ever played outside of Colorado, a disagreement between officials from the two schools resulted in a controversial ending to the game. At the time, officials were provided by the schools competing in the game. The game concluded with a Wyoming forfeit being called after Colorado Agricultural official Edward House ruled that Wyoming official E.D. McArthur and the Wyoming team were refusing to abide by the rulebook. After the forfeit was called and the Colorado Agricultural players began leaving the field, official McArthur reportedly exclaimed that he "did not give a damn for the rules" and instructed the Wyoming team to run in a touchdown. This action reportedly set off a brawl between the teams. Following the game, Colorado Agricultural President Barton Aylesworth declared that his school would not play Wyoming in any athletic event until he received a written apology from Wyoming. The two schools played again the following year, and there has remained bad blood between the two programs since. The series is also the oldest and most-played in the Mountain West, and one of the most-played in the nation.

Bronze Boot

As the main component of the Border War rivalry, the football rivalry series revolves around the Bronze Boot - a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the CSU-Wyoming football game each year. In 1968, the ROTC detachments of the respective schools initiated the Bronze Boot. The boot was worn in the Vietnam War by Cpt. Dan J. Romero, an Adams State College graduate and Army ROTC instructor at CSU between 1967 and 1969. Each year leading up to the Colorado State–Wyoming game, the game ball is carried in a running shuttle relay by the ROTC detachment of the visiting team along US 287 to the Colorado–Wyoming border, where the home team's ROTC detachment receives it and runs the game ball to the stadium hosting the game. The trophy is guarded by the ROTC unit of the past year's winning school during the game.

Game results

† = This game is controversial, but was ruled as a Wyoming forfeit per rule.

Men's basketball

The "Border War" between Colorado State and Wyoming also extends to men's basketball. The ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia considers Colorado State to be Wyoming's "fiercest rival". Wyoming leads the series 137–102 over Colorado State as of 2023.

Notable men's basketball games

Game results

Rankings are from the AP Poll. Source for results:

Women's basketball

University of Wyoming records list two women's basketball games played against Colorado State University during the 1973–1974 season, prior to Colorado State's inaugural season. According to Colorado State records, the first game played against Wyoming was on January 29, 1975, in Laramie.

Game results

Source for results: