The Wyoming Cowboys will head south to open the 2026 season with a contest against the Colorado State Rams on Saturday at 4 p.m. inside Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the 118th edition of the Border War.

It will mark the first time since 1964 that the Brown and Gold has opened the season against Colorado State. 

Where to Watch

Saturday’s contest will be televised on The USA network. Nate Gatter will be on the call with Ryan Leaf analyzing the action and Lauren Green on the sidelines.

Listen Live

The game will also be available on the 26 stations of The Cowboy Sports Network with Keith Kelley on the call, Kevin McKinney on color and Erick Pauley on the sidelines.

Notes on the Cowboys

Season Openers: As the Wyoming Cowboys enter their 130th season of college football in 2026, the Pokes record in season openers stands at: 81-65-2 (.636) in 129 previous season-opening games. The Cowboys are 60-18-1 (.772) in season-opening games at home, and are 21-28-1 (.430) in road games to begin the season. 

Wyoming’s record in 129 Previous Season Openers (Home & Away) 81-46-2 

UW in Season-Opening Games at Home (79 Games) 60-18-1 (.772)

The Cowboys in Season-Opening Games on the Road (50 Games) 21-28-1 

UW vs. Non-Conference Opponents in Season Openers 67-29-1 

The Pokes vs. Non-Conference Opponents at Home in Season Openers 51-11-1 (.817)

UW’s record vs. Non-Conference Opponents on the Road in Season Openers 16-18-0 

Wyoming’s record vs. Conference Opponents in Season Openers 14-17-1 (.453)

Border War: The Cowboys and the Rams will meet for the 118th time on Saturday. The Cowboys are 52-60-5 all-time against the Rams. The Pokes are 32-26 in the Bronze Boot Portion of the series. The Pokes were 14-13 in the Mountain West portion of the series.

Top running back

Running back Samuel “Tote” Harris is one of the top returning running backs in the MW Conference. He rushed for 558 yards last season to lead the Cowboys. He also grabbed 16 catches for 184 yards. He had a career-high 126 yards rushing against Colorado and added 102 yards against Fresno State on only 12 carries. He was named First Team Preseason All-MW by Phil Steele and was second team by Athlon Sports.

About Colorado State

Colorado State is entering its first season under head coach Jim Mora. Two transfer quarterbacks, Hauss Hejny (Oklahoma State) and K’saan Farrar (UConn), were the primary contenders for the starting job through fall camp. Mora told the media he planned for them to find out the winner of the battle during CSU’s first offensive series in the opener vs. Wyoming.

The Rams’ offense line is led by tackle Quinton Harris, a TCU transfer, with UConn transfers Toriyan Johnson and Diego Rodriguez also blocking for former UConn teammates Mel Brown and Oliver Lundberg-Coleman. Tight end Juice Vereen, yet another former UConn standout, has the talent to be an all-Pac-12 player. Mora was able to retain wide receiver Tommy Maher.

Tyson Summers, who was CSU’s interim head coach for five games last season, including the 28-0 loss to the Cowboys in Laramie, returns as defensive coordinator. Defensive end Stephon Wright and linebacker Oumar Diomande are the UConn transfers on the defensive side of the ball expected to have a big impact.