Future Cowboy Football Schedules Starting to Take Shape
The Mountain West Conference announced conference football match-ups for the 2013-16 seasons Tuesday. In 2013, the Wyoming Cowboys will, for the second consecutive year, host arch-rival Colorado State in War Memorial Stadium for the annual “Border War”. Wyoming’s other conference home games in 2013 will include: Fresno State, Hawai'i and New Mexico. The Cowboys Mountain West road trips this coming season will take them to: Air Force, Boise State, San Jose State and Utah State. Dates of games, game times and television coverage will be announced in the weeks to come.
Including Wyoming’s 2013 season opener on Aug. 31 in Lincoln, Nebraska, versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Cowboys will face six teams that played in bowl games at the conclusion of the 2012 season. UW’s other five opponents who appeared in bowl games are all conference foes: Air Force, Boise State, Fresno State, San Jose State and Utah State.
“When you look at the quality of the football teams in our league, it is an exciting time to be part of the Mountain West Conference,” said University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman. “I know Coach (Dave) Christensen and his staff feel very good about the core of returning players we have coming back. I’m sure our fans will be thrilled to see the ‘Border War’ back on Jonah Field for the second straight year. We’ll also be hosting a talented Fresno State team, along with a much-improved New Mexico team and an old rival in Hawai'i.”
“With the teams returning in our league from last season, and the addition of two bowl teams in San Jose State and Utah State, the Mountain West will be an outstanding conference,” said UW head coach Dave Christensen. “Every team in our league will present a great challenge, but our team is looking forward to that challenge. We start the season on the road at Nebraska, and five of our eight conference games will be against teams who played in bowl games last season. Every week should feature some great games.”
While the home and away game match-ups were released for the next four seasons (2013-16), the actual dates of games will continue to be constructed on an annual basis.
Each of the 12 Mountain West football teams conference schedules will feature eight conference games, with five of those games coming against the other teams in each school’s division and the other three games being played against teams from the Mountain West’s other division. As a member of the “Mountain Division”, Wyoming will play Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico and Utah State every season, and will play three games versus teams from the “West Division”. Wyoming’s three “West Division” foes for the 2013 and 2014 seasons will be Fresno State, Hawai'i and San Jose State.
Each institution will play four home and four road Conference games each season, and will play every Mountain West opponent home and away during each four-year cycle.
Intra-divisional opponents will alternate sites annually (three home/two away or two home/three away). The three cross-divisional opponents will be the same in each two-year period, with the site alternating from Year 1 to Year 2. The three cross-divisional opponents who are missed initially will appear on the schedule in the second two years of the cycle, again alternating sites from Year 3 to Year 4. The entire four-year sequence repeats beginning in 2017 and will continue thereafter.
Last month, the Mountain West’s directors of athletics formed two football divisions based upon common geographic regions and traditional rivalries, while also creating the first Mountain West Football Championship Game. Beginning in the fall of 2013, Mountain West football membership will include: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming in the Mountain Division and Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State and UNLV in the West Division.
The inaugural Mountain West Football Championship Game will be played December 7, 2013, at the home stadium of the divisional champion with the highest BCS ranking.
2013 Wyoming Football Schedule
Aug. 31 at Nebraska
Sept. 7 IDAHO
Sept. 14 NORTHERN COLORADO
Sept. 28 at Texas State
2013 Wyoming MW Home Games 2013 Wyoming MW Road Games
COLORADO STATE at Air Force
FRESNO STATE at Boise State
HAWAI’I at San Jose State
NEW MEXICO at Utah State
2014 Wyoming Football Schedule
Aug. 30 MONTANA
Sept. 6 at Oregon
Sept. 20 at Michigan State
Sept. 27 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
2014 Wyoming MW Home Games 2014 Wyoming MW Road Games
AIR FORCE at Colorado State
BOISE STATE at Fresno State
SAN JOSE STATE at Hawai’i
UTAH STATE at New Mexico
2015 Wyoming Football Schedule
Sept. 5 NORTH DAKOTA
Sept. 12 at Washington State
Sept. 19 EASTERN MICHIGAN
Sept. 26 at Northern Illinois
2015 Wyoming MW Home Games 2015 Wyoming MW Road Games
COLORADO STATE at Air Force
NEVADA at Boise State
NEW MEXICO at San Diego State
UNLV at Utah State
2016 Wyoming Football Schedule
Sept. 3 NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Sept. 17 at Nebraska
Sept. 24 at Eastern Michigan
2016 Wyoming MW Home Games 2016 Wyoming MW Road Games
AIR FORCE at Colorado State
BOISE STATE at Nevada
SAN DIEGO STATE at New Mexico
UTAH STATE at UNLV