What Is the Border War Between Wyoming and Colorado State?
Learn why the Border War opener between Wyoming and Colorado State carries extra weight as CSU begins its Pac-12 era under Jim Mora, and why recent history has shifted in Wyoming’s favor.
The first week of college football is usually a collection of mismatches. Wyoming at Colorado State is different. The two programs meet in Fort Collins for the 118th time in a series that dates to 1899, with the Bronze Boot on the line. The campuses are separated by a single state line and roughly 65 miles.
The Reporter-Herald, which previewed the game, noted a scheduling quirk: for the first time since 1964, a season will open with this rivalry. The context around the opener is just as notable. It is Jim Mora’s first game as Colorado State’s head coach and the Rams’ first game as a member of the Pac-12. A coaching debut, a conference debut, and a trophy rivalry all arrive on the same afternoon.
The Recent History Favors Wyoming
The all-time series record belongs to CSU. The Rams lead the Border War 59-52-5. But recent seasons have flipped that trend. Wyoming has won four of the past five meetings and eight of the past ten. The Cowboys get to that run without a strong recent season, having gone 4-8 overall and 2-6 in Mountain West play a year ago.
CSU’s last win in the series came in 2024, when the Rams beat Wyoming 24-10 at Canvas Stadium. That venue is also the site of this opener, a familiar setting for a team trying to start something new. A Coloradoan game-day guide places the opener there as well.
Why This Opener Carries Weight
Mora wants the focus on his own team rather than the rivalry’s storylines. The Reporter-Herald also said Mora has much respect for the Cowboys, and the reasoning is clear: Wyoming’s record last season was modest, but its recent track record in this series is not.
For Wyoming, the game is a chance to reset after a losing season and prove that its edge in the Border War remains intact. For CSU, a win would give the new Pac-12 era an immediate result against a familiar opponent. A loss would put the Rams in an early hole in a series they have controlled historically but not lately.
Between the border, the boot, and the conference changes, there is plenty of context. None of it matters on the first snap. What matters is that two close neighbors are starting the season the way they started the rivalry more than a century ago: against each other.