Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls
| Wyoming Cowboys Wyoming Cowgirls |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| University | University of Wyoming |
| Conference | Mountain West |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Tom Burman |
| Location | Laramie, Wyoming |
| Varsity teams | 17 |
| Football stadium | War Memorial Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Arena-Auditorium |
| Other arenas | UniWyo Sports Complex (1,200) |
| Mascot | Cowboy Joe (live pony) and Pistol Pete (costumed student) |
| Nickname | Cowboys, Cowgirls |
| Fight song | Ragtime Cowboy Joe and Fight, Wyoming, Fight! |
| Colors | Brown and Gold |
| Website | www |
Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls are the names given to the sports teams of the University of Wyoming. Wyoming is a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 17 NCAA-sanctioned sports. Two Wyoming teams compete in other conferences in sports that the MW does not sponsor. The men's swimming and diving team competes in the Western Athletic Conference, and the wrestling team competes in the Big 12 Conference. The football helmets were chosen as the third best logo helmet (no letters) by Sports Illustrated's 10 Spot. On October 9, 2006, Tom Burman was named the University's athletic director.
The nickname Cowboys was used as early as 1891 when a true cowboy assisted the Wyoming football team against a team from Cheyenne, Wyoming. One of the Cheyenne players allegedly yelled "Hey, look at that cowboy," and the name stuck.
Wyoming's mascot is "Pistol Pete" (first seen in 1917 and redesigned in 2002), a student dressed up like a cowboy. UW Athletics also features "Cowboy Joe", a pony primarily present at football games. Pistol Pete roams the sidelines and stands entertaining fans of all ages. The athletic teams are cheered on by the school song "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" and the fight song "Fight, Wyoming, Fight". Men's athletic teams are known as "Cowboys" and women's teams are called "Cowgirls". Teams of either gender are also referred to as "Pokes", short for Cowpokes.
Football began in 1893 at UW, and games were played against local high schools and Front Range colleges. War Memorial Stadium was built in 1950 with an original capacity of 20,000 fans. The stadium sits at 7,200 feet (2,200 m) above sea level, and is the highest Division I football stadium in the United States. Currently the stadium holds 30,514 fans. The Wyoming Cowboys rival is Colorado State. Wyoming and Colorado State meet annually in the Border War; the winner receives the Bronze Boot trophy. The boot was worn by a member of the Colorado State ROTC during the Vietnam War. Wyoming beat Colorado State 42-0 in 2010 for the most lopsided outcome in the 102 games of the rivalry up to that point. The Cowboys are 6–6 in bowl games. In 2004, the Cowboy football team ended a 38-year bowl game victory drought by defeating the UCLA Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 23, 2004. UW's most recent bowl win came in 2009, defeating Fresno State, 35-28 in double overtime, in the New Mexico Bowl as Kelly Haggbberg got the winning tackle.
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