Certain college football games just mean more to fans than others.
Every year, the Bronze Boot is up for grabs between Colorado State and Wyoming. This season’s Sept. 5 matchup showcased the deep-seated rivalry between the teams.
It doesn’t take a college football expert to see the passion from fans of both teams. The clanging of bleachers and echoing chants through Canvas Stadium set the stage for one of the most integral facets of college football: rivalry.
“I come out of bed, I wake up and I’m hyped for this game,” CSU junior Jackson Gentile said. “I’m thinking about this game for weeks. It means so much because we’re just right there, and we’ve got to prove we’re the better state at the end of the day.”
This year, the storyline behind the game came with some additional components. CSU joining the Pac-12 marks the first time the two teams have not been conference opponents since 1967. Despite now being out-of-conference foes, there is no love lost — or gained — between the rivals.
“I don’t like Wyoming,” senior Avery Burcham said. “Ever since I came to CSU, it’s just been a hate relationship. No love at all.”
The atmosphere and buildup of the game needed few words to describe the meaning of this season’s Border War.
“This is the biggest game of the season; it means everything,” CSU junior Brooks Milius said. “This Border War means a lot. They hiked the trophy all the way down from Wyoming.”
The proximity of the rivalry can also leave some fans torn in multiple directions, such as Gabriel Vigil, who received his bachelor’s degree from UW and his master’s from CSU. He said he has gone 17 straight years without missing a Border War game, but is clear on which side he takes.
“I used to troll CSU fan sites just to see their tears and their cries,” Vigil said. “I love the rivalry. I think it’s great for everyone to have a good, healthy rivalry. Somebody you can root against, but have a great time.”
As a student at Wyoming in 2003, Vigil said he took part in tearing down the goalposts after a Wyoming victory. The rivalry, he said, has brought him many cherished memories over the years.
Vigil’s family is split on the rivalry, too. He and his sister-in-law, a CSU fan, have an ongoing bet in which the losing team from the previous season has to wear the other team’s gear to the next Border War. After a dominant 35-13 win on Saturday, Vigil will be in green and gold for next year’s Border War.
Past Border Wars remain memorable for alumni and students of both schools. For recent Colorado State graduate Brady Kellogg, this rings true.
“Two years ago, the one that was really cold, we stayed the entire game,” Kellogg said. “We were up 15 the entire game, but me and my friends were like ‘We have to stick around; it’s the Border War.’ After I was rushing the field, and it’s, like, ‘No, this totally means something to me.’”
Now after a statement 2026 Border War victory, CSU fans have a new memory.
With many moving pieces and new beginnings for Colorado State’s football program, playing Wyoming is one thing set to remain constant. Aside from the 2027 season, which is still up in the air, the rivalry is contracted to continue every year through at least 2036.
“You can’t go wrong with tradition,” CSU junior Will Grimes said. “Everybody has the tradition. The Border War is the Colorado State tradition. This is (my) third year, and I’m still just as excited to watch it and get the Bronze Boot.”
Reach Caleb Morrow at sports@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
