Colorado State University Athletics
Senior Day, student contest highlight annual Border War
11/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 25, 2009
By Zak Gilbert
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – CSU and Wyoming share the longest continuous football rivalry west of the Mississippi River. It’s a rivalry rich in lore, history and countless stories.
The programs wrote their first story in 1899, their initial meeting, ruled a forfeit CSU win when emotions ran high. That day, after Wyoming players and officials argued a rule with the referee, the Wyoming official struck the rule book from the referee's hands and he awarded the game to CSU, then known as Colorado Agricultural College. When the Aggies left the field, the Cowboys lined up and ran a touchdown without defenders, but it didn’t count.
On Friday at high noon in Fort Collins, the programs will meet officially for the 100th time. By NCAA rule, forfeits don’t count in calculating all-time series, so CSU leads, 54-40-5. The Rams haven’t lost in Fort Collins to the Cowboys since 1998, winning five straight games at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.
The bitter rivalry also features one of the nation’s most prominent traveling trophies, the Bronze Boot. Each of the last two years, CSU players after defeating Wyoming have sprinted to the sidelines to celebrate with the boot, and the trophy has been proudly displayed at every CSU team meeting and function this week. The Rams, despite their record and knowing Wyoming has to win to secure a bowl invitation, have no intention of giving up the boot. The rivalry is as heated as ever.
Ticket information: Plenty of good seats remain. Fans can easily purchase tickets on CSURams.com (click here) 24 hours a day, including through the Thanksgiving holiday, and utilize the convenient print-at-home option. Those who’d like to purchase seats at the stadium can do so beginning at 9 a.m. Friday.
Student contest: Three lucky CSU students present at the game will win tickets and parking to next season’s road games against CU (in Denver), Air Force and Wyoming.
Senior Day: Friday’s game marks the final collegiate contest for 14 CSU seniors. Each player will be honored prior to kickoff, beginning at approximately 11:50 a.m. Those seniors have an opportunity to finish 3-1 against the Cowboys.
Volleyball team honored: At halftime Friday, CSU will introduce Mountain West Coach of the Year Tom Hilbert and his volleyball team, which recently clinched its 11th conference championship and reserved its invitation to a 15th consecutive NCAA tournament. The team will host its regular-season finale Saturday against New Mexico State at Moby Arena. First serve is at 12 noon.
Text to give: Fans at the game Friday or anywhere at anytime can help support CSU athletic scholarships with a small, convenient donation of $10 by texting “RAMS” to 90999. The charges will appear on fans’ monthly phone bills.
