The Border War is an annual game between the Colorado State Rams and the Wyoming Cowboys. The history of the Border War started in 1899 when the Cowboys traveled to Fort Collins, CO to take on the Rams. The Cowboys lost that first contest 12-0, but this would be the first of many games played between the two schools. Laramie and Fort Collins are only 66 miles a part down highway 287. The game is longest continuous rivalry West of the Mississippi, and has been played over the course of three centuries.
In 1968 the two schools decided to give the game a traveling trophy, a trophy that is called the Bronze Boot. The Bronze Boot is a size 8 jump boot worn by Colorado State alum Dan Romero Sr., a Vietnam War veteran. The idea of the bronze boot was conceived by Maj. Vic Fernandez who felt nothing was more appropriate for a border war than a battle tested combat boot. Romero was deployed to Vietnam between 1966 and 1967. Romero had the boot bronzed and mounted on a walnut base and gave the universities the trophy. Dan Romero passed away on January 27, 2020.
Each year the game ball is carried to the host school by the two school’s ROTC detachments. The two ROTC detachments meet at the Wyoming/Colorado border, exchange the game ball, and run it to the stadium hosting the game. The game has been played every year except for 12 (1901, 1902, 1906, 1907, 1918, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1943, 1944, and 1945). In past years the Wyoming ROTC has shown up at the Colorado border wearing 19th century cavalry uniforms and mounted on horseback to greet the Colorado State contingent. At this point the game has been played 108 times, Colorado State leading the series 59-48-5. Since the Bronze Boot has come into the annual game, Wyoming leads in the series 29-25.
* indicates tie
Date | Location | Winning Team |
Score | Losing Team |
Score |
11-30-1899 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 12 | Wyoming | 0 |
11-24-1900 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 16 | Wyoming | 0 |
11-14-1903 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 17 | Wyoming | 0 |
11-24-1904 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 6 | Wyoming | 6* |
11-25-1905 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 34 | Wyoming | 5 |
11-14-1908 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 20 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-16-1909 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 32 | Wyoming | 3 |
11-24-1910 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 10 | Colorado State | 0 |
11-20-1911 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 27 | Colorado State | 0 |
11-28-1912 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 33 | Wyoming | 0 |
11-27-1913 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 61 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-24-1914 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 48 | Wyoming | 10 |
11-6-1915 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 48 | Wyoming | 0 |
9-30-1916 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 40 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-6-1917 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 6 | Colorado State | 0 |
9-27-1919 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 28 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-4-1919 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 14 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-2-1920 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 13 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-16-1920 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 42 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-1-1921 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 7 | Wyoming | 7* |
10-14-1922 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 60 | Wyoming | 0 |
9-29-1923 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 33 | Wyoming | 0 |
11-26-1925 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 40 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-4-1929 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 20 | Wyoming | 7 |
11-8-1930 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 20 | Colorado State | 7 |
11-7-1931 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 26 | Wyoming | 6 |
11-24-1932 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 23 | Wyoming | 0 |
9-30-1933 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 7 | Wyoming | 0 |
11-3-1934 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 16 | Wyoming | 0 |
9-28-1935 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 12 | Wyoming | 3 |
10-17-1936 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 0 | Wyoming | 0* |
10-16-1937 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 7 | Colorado State | 0 |
10-1-1938 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 0 | Colorado State | 0* |
11-4-1939 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 22 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-5-1940 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 0 | Wyoming | 0* |
10-4-1941 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 27 | Wyoming | 0 |
9-26-1942 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 10 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-5-1946 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 7 | Wyoming | 0 |
11-27-1947 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 21 | Wyoming | 6 |
10-16-1948 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 21 | Wyoming | 20 |
10-1-1949 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 8 | Colorado State | 0 |
10-7-1950 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 34 | Colorado State | 0 |
10-13-1951 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 14 | Wyoming | 7 |
10-11-1952 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 14 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-10-1953 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 21 | Colorado State | 14 |
10-9-1954 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 34 | Colorado State | 0 |
10-8-1955 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 14 | Wyoming | 13 |
10-6-1956 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 20 | Colorado State | 12 |
10-12-1957 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 27 | Colorado State | 13 |
10-8-1958 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 7 | Colorado State | 6 |
10-10-1959 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 29 | Colorado State | 0 |
10-15-1960 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 40 | Colorado State | 8 |
10-14-1961 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 18 | Colorado State | 7 |
10-27-1962 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 28 | Colorado State | 7 |
10-12-1963 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 21 | Colorado State | 3 |
9-19-1964 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 31 | Colorado State | 7 |
9-25-1965 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 33 | Colorado State | 14 |
10-29-1966 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 12 | Wyoming | 10 |
9-30-1967 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 13 | Colorado State | 10 |
11-2-1968 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 46 | Colorado State | 14 |
10-4-1969 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 39 | Colorado State | 3 |
10-10-1970 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 16 | Colorado State | 6 |
10-2-1971 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 17 | Colorado State | 6 |
10-14-1972 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 28 | Colorado State | 9 |
10-20-1973 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 35 | Colorado State | 3 |
11-2-1974 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 11 | Wyoming | 6 |
10-4-1975 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 3 | Wyoming | 0 |
10-30-1976 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 19 | Wyoming | 16 |
10-29-1977 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 29 | Colorado State | 13 |
10-28-1978 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 13 | Colorado State | 3 |
9-29-1979 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 20 | Wyoming | 16 |
11-1-1980 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 28 | Wyoming | 25 |
10-31-1981 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 55 | Colorado State | 21 |
9-11-1982 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 9 | Wyoming | 3 |
11-19-1983 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 42 | Colorado State | 17 |
10-27-1984 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 43 | Colorado State | 34 |
10-26-1985 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 30 | Wyoming | 19 |
10-25-1986 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 20 | Wyoming | 15 |
10-31-1987 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 20 | Colorado State | 15 |
10-29-1988 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 48 | Colorado State | 14 |
11-4-1989 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 56 | Colorado State | 35 |
11-3-1990 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 17 | Wyoming | 8 |
10-26-1991 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 35 | Colorado State | 28 |
10-24-1992 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 31 | Colorado State | 14 |
11-20-1993 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 41 | Wyoming | 21 |
11-5-1994 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 35 | Wyoming | 24 |
10-28-1995 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 31 | Wyoming | 24 |
11-16-1996 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 25 | Colorado State | 24 |
10-18-1997 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 14 | Wyoming | 7 |
11-7-1998 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 27 | Colorado State | 19 |
10-23-1999 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 24 | Wyoming | 13 |
11-16-2000 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 37 | Wyoming | 13 |
9-29-2001 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 42 | Wyoming | 14 |
10-12-2002 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 44 | Wyoming | 36 |
11-1-2003 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 35 | Colorado State | 28 |
10-22-2004 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 30 | Wyoming | 7 |
10-22-2005 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 39 | Wyoming | 31 |
10-21-2006 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 24 | Colorado State | 0 |
11-23-2007 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 36 | Wyoming | 28 |
11-22-2008 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 31 | Wyoming | 20 |
11-27-2009 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 17 | Colorado State | 16 |
11-20-2010 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 44 | Colorado State | 0 |
12-3-2011 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 22 | Colorado State | 19 |
11-3-2012 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 45 | Colorado State | 31 |
10-19-2013 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 52 | Wyoming | 22 |
10-25-2014 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 45 | Wyoming | 31 |
11-5-2015 | Laramie, WY | Colorado State | 26 | Wyoming | 7 |
10-1-2016 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 38 | Colorado State | 17 |
11-4-2017 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 16 | Colorado State | 13 |
10-26-2018 | Fort Collins, CO | Wyoming | 34 | Colorado State | 21 |
11-22-2019 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 17 | Colorado State | 7 |
11-5-2020 | Fort Collins, CO | Colorado State | 34 | Wyoming | 24 |
11-6-2021 | Laramie, WY | Wyoming | 31 | Colorado State | 17 |