Wyoming Gives up Home Game to Travel to CSU for 2026 Opener

[TheRealUW]

Direct response I just got from Mr Burman...


We still have lots of pieces moving in our future schedules. The schedule for 26, 27, 28, 29 are all in flux due to many schools making changes. I believe we will end up in a good place. Ideally we like six home games and six road games. 7th home games have not been as financially beneficial as one may think because our fan base travels so far they done generally attend all seven games. We will likely have more to announce in the coming weeks/months. Thanks

I know you are just posting Burman's reply to you, but I don't understand the preference for only six home games.

Why does he ideally like six home games and six away games? I can't imagine there are many teams out there who would choose to give up a 7th home game because they prefer to only have six home games. That is some very bizarre thinking.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

I don’t understand. The details are all public. We gave up our home game to go to 6 home games. Colorado State traded out a road at Indiana to move from 6 home games to 7 home games next year (assuming PAC conference scheduling makes normal sense). CSU has other OOC home games against BYU and Southern Utah giving them 3 OOC home games.

Do they need another ooc since they only have 4 ooc? 7 pac games. 4 ooc is 11. With only 8 teams, maybe they're getting 3 home pac teams and 4 away.

Getting another home game 1) makes it easier to schedule another ooc game if they need it because they can go on the road 2) balances their schedule with 6 home and 6 away if they have 3 home ooc and 3 home pac + 4 away pac and 2 away ooc (assuming they need to schedule another team)?

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Two years ago. And the AD raved about setting an all-time attendance record.

Interesting. I looked back and we ended with HI. It was the lowest attended game, BUT based on attendance near that date every year, it was directly in line with all other late Nov games. I see no evidence to support that claim by TB.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

Do they need another ooc since they only have 4 ooc? 7 pac games. 4 ooc is 11. With only 8 teams, maybe they're getting 3 home pac teams and 4 away.

Getting another home game 1) makes it easier to schedule another ooc game if they need it because they can go on the road 2) balances their schedule with 6 home and 6 away if they have 3 home ooc and 3 home pac + 4 away pac and 2 away ooc (assuming they need to schedule another team)?

PAC announced recently through media that it will play 7 conference games in 2026 but will also have a conference scheduling agreement with another conference (MAC or Sun Belt or CUSA likely) to give each team 4 home games and 4 road games.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

Interesting. I looked back and we ended with HI. It was the lowest attended game, BUT based on attendance near that date every year, it was directly in line with all other late Nov games. I see no evidence to support that claim by TB.

Yes. That the major problem here. We are moving from 7 to 6 home games. But we are giving up a Sep 5 OOC home game and keeping a miserable Nov 28 OOC home game. This isn’t defensible from a likely revenue standpoint. It’s BS.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

PAC announced recently through media that it will play 7 conference games in 2026 but will also have a conference scheduling agreement with another conference (MAC or Sun Belt or CUSA likely) to give each team 4 home games and 4 road games.

It's still possible that to facilitate their scheduling agreement, csu is now able to play a road game.

Possible. We'll know when they announce their final schedule. If they're away for their other ooc, I'll wonder if this was helping out csu?

I'm not sure on buying the scared to play UNT narrative. I'd like to know the real motivations behind this.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

It's still possible that to facilitate their scheduling agreement, csu is now able to play a road game.

Possible. We'll know when they announce their final schedule. If they're away for their other ooc, I'll wonder if this was helping out csu?

I'm not sure on buying the scared to play UNT narrative. I'd like to know the real motivations behind this.

Well sure glad Wyoming schedules games now to facilitate CSU. They have show themselves to be nothing but the the biggest backstabber to Wyoming.

 

[Bear Claw]

Well sure glad Wyoming schedules games now to facilitate CSU. They have show themselves to be nothing but the the biggest backstabber to Wyoming.

Burman should move 60 miles south and work at GOAT U, instead!

 

[OrediggerPoke]

Burman should move 60 miles south and work at GOAT U, instead!

I'm not convinced he isn't already on their payroll (absent Wyoming getting a 2027 home game against CSU).

 

[rocket city poke]

Very respectable to get an immediate response.

I am not an AD but I don't generally advise entering into deals simply with a hope and prayer that there may be future deals too to "end up in a good place." If he has CSU coming to Laramie in 2027, then I can see a bit of sense. But if that was the case, then it would almost assuredly have been announced at the same time. I suppose time will tell but I am doubtful we are on anything but the very short end of this stick.

Also - curiously absent - no analysis as to the revenue that a September home game generates versus a November home game. We gave up a September 5th home game and we are presumably keeping our November 28th home game. I am pretty sure that past ticket sales would reflect that September home games are almost always much more profitable (Josh Allen returning as an ou

It's still possible that to facilitate their scheduling agreement, csu is now able to play a road game.

Possible. We'll know when they announce their final schedule. If they're away for their other ooc, I'll wonder if this was helping out csu?

I'm not sure on buying the scared to play UNT narrative. I'd like to know the real motivations behind this.

I really don't get it either. But that was the only explanation i could come up with. I think UNT may have been driving it as playing at Indiana which is suddenly a football school instead of Wyoming is way better for them. They will likely get some television exposure they otherwise would not have gotten. Wyoming really got the short end of this deal.

 

[HR_Poke]

I know you are just posting Burman's reply to you, but I don't understand the preference for only six home games.

Why does he ideally like six home games and six away games? I can't imagine there are many teams out there who would choose to give up a 7th home game because they prefer to only have six home games. That is some very bizarre thinking.

If I had the time I'd look at attendance in the years we have 6 vs 7 games. My guess is we still average 17 to 19k in that 7th game. So I'm not really sure I buy his comment about not being financially beneficial.

 

[doreno5]

Also - curiously absent - no analysis as to the revenue that a September home game generates versus a November home game. We gave up a September 5th home game and we are presumably keeping our November 28th home game. I am pretty sure that past ticket sales would reflect that September home games are almost always much more profitable (Josh Allen returning as an outlier).

Burman has basically said he is willing to send Wyoming to away games instead of home games. I wonder if there is also consideration given to the additional expenses from travelling compared to the cost to bring teams to Laramie to play.

 

[Wyolie Coyote]

Interesting. I looked back and we ended with HI. It was the lowest attended game, BUT based on attendance near that date every year, it was directly in line with all other late Nov games. I see no evidence to support that claim by TB.

It was the largest total attendance for the season. I believe the only season we have had 7 home games and we tooting our horn about breaking the attendance record.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

If I had the time I'd look at attendance in the years we have 6 vs 7 games. My guess is we still average 17 to 19k in that 7th game. So I'm not really sure I buy his comment about not being financially beneficial.

I believe season ticket costs are the same whether we have 6 or 7 games. I could be wrong. Regardless, individual ticket sales is a significant portion along with media value and concessions.

 

[Vapoke]

I know you are just posting Burman's reply to you, but I don't understand the preference for only six home games.

Why does he ideally like six home games and six away games? I can't imagine there are many teams out there who would choose to give up a 7th home game because they prefer to only have six home games. That is some very bizarre thinking.

He may be looking for a money game (Probably harder to come by) or finding a game with a school in an area that Wyoming recruits heavily so it makes it easier for families to come see their relatives play. The only reason that Nevada game for UW is sold out is because of Josh Allen retirement jersey. Every Wyoming person will run road closed gates to make that trip to Laramie Nov 22

 

[OrediggerPoke]

He may be looking for a money game (Probably harder to come by) or finding a game with a school in an area that Wyoming recruits heavily so it makes it easier for families to come see their relatives play. The only reason that Nevada game for UW is sold out is because of Josh Allen retirement jersey. Every Wyoming person will run road closed gates to make that trip to Laramie Nov 22

Huh!?!? We already have full schedules this year and for the next 5. We would likely owe big money to buy out of upcoming road OOC games against Central Michigan, North Texas, Utah or Texas Tech.

The only logic to any of this is if there is some deal to swap the 2027 home game against Central Michigan to a home game against CSU. That’s it. But we’ve heard nothing of any sort of plan to do this beyond mere speculation.

 

[McPeachy]

For Reference:

2026

• 09/05 - at Colorado State
• 09/12 - Northern Colorado
• 09/19 - at Central Michigan
• 11/28 - UConn

2027

• 09/04 - Southern Utah
• 09/18 - at North Texas
• 09/25 - Central Michigan
• TBA - at Utah

2028

• 09/02 - Idaho State
• 09/09 - Akron
• 09/16 - at Texas Tech
• 09/23 - at Colorado State

2029

• 09/01 - Western Illinois
• 09/08 - California
• 09/15 - at UConn
• 09/22 - Colorado State

2030

• 08/31 - Northern Colorado
• 09/07 - at Colorado State
• 09/14 - at Arizona
• 09/21 - North Texas

2031

• 09/20 - Colorado State

2032

• 09/04 - at California
• 09/11 - Cal Poly
• 09/18 - New Mexico State
• 09/25 - at Colorado State

 

[McPeachy]

2029 looks to have 7 homes games (surely Burman can fuck that up again)

Season ticket holders get rewarded seeing: Uconn, Northern Colorado, Southern Utah, Central Michigan, Akron, and Idaho State the next three years. That will surely spike ticket sales. Pathetic!