• Third Consecutive Bowl Appearance a First in Wyoming School History

Tim Harkins
Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations,
Public Relations and Broadcasting
University of Wyoming Athletics

Laramie, Wyo. (Dec. 3, 2023) –  For the third consecutive season the Wyoming Cowboys will be playing in a bowl game, which is the first time that has happened in Wyoming school history.  The Cowboys have accepted an invitation to the 2023 Bartstool Sports Arizona Bowl, marking the second consecutive year the Pokes will play in Tucson and the third time in the past five seasons.  Wyoming will face the University of Toledo Rockets in this year’s Arizona Bowl.

The 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl will kick off on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2:30 p.m., Mountain Time in Tucson, Ariz.  Wyoming will bring an 8-4 overall record and a 5-3 Mountain West Conference record into the game.  Toledo finished its season with an 11-2 overall mark and an 8-0 record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

“We are excited about going back to Tucson and playing an excellent University of Toledo football team,” said University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman.  “If this Cowboy team can get a ninth win, that would be a fantastic accomplishment.”

Ticket Information

Tickets to the 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl will be available for purchase soon through the University of Wyoming Athletics Ticket Office.  Fans may purchase tickets online at GoWyo.com/tickets, by calling (307) 766-7220 or by going to the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium.

About the Matchup

On way to its 8-4 overall record and 5-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference, Wyoming defeated two Top 25 teams ranked this season in Texas Tech and Fresno State, posted a perfect 7-0 home record and set a new single-season home attendance record.

In addition to making its third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time in school history, the Cowboys are making their sixth bowl appearance in the last eight seasons (2016, ‘17, ‘19, ‘21, ‘22 and ‘23), which is also a school best.  UW also won three consecutive bowl game appearances (2017, ‘19 and ‘21) during the time Craig Bohl has been head coach of the Cowboys.

Toledo finished the season with an 11-2 overall mark and were 8-0 in the MAC in the regular season to capture the MAC West Division title.  The Rockets lost to Miami (Ohio) by a score of 23-14 in the MAC Championship Game on Saturday.

Wyoming and Toledo have played each other twice before, with the road team winning each game.  Wyoming won 20-15 on Oct. 2, 2010, in Toledo, and Toledo won 34-31 on Sept. 8, 2012, in Laramie.

This will be the Cowboys’s third appearance in the Arizona Bowl.  Wyoming defeated Georgia State, 38-17, in the 2019 Arizona Bowl and lost a thrilling 27-30 overtime game to Ohio in last year’s game.

Where to Watch and Listen

The 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl will be telecast live nationally on the CW and on Barstool TV.

The game will be broadcast on radio over the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, with Keith Kelley (play-by-play), Kevin McKinney (color analyst) and Erick Pauley(sideline analyst) describing the action.

2023 Season A Memorable One

From the opening game of the 2023 season, the Wyoming Cowboys have created many memorable moments.  Among those moments experienced by the Cowboys and their fans were:

• Defeating two Top 25 ranked teams — then No. 24 ranked Texas Tech (35-33 in double overtime) and then No. 24 ranked Fresno State (24-19).

• Battling eventual College Football Playoff No. 3 seed Texas to a 10-10 tie entering the fourth quarter in Austin,Texas.

• Winning eight games against a 2023 schedule that featured seven bowl-eligible teams.  Wyoming posted a 3-4 record against the seven bowl-eligible teams on its schedule.

• Achieving a perfect 7-0 home record, marking the first time in school history that the Cowboys won seven home games in a single season.

• Attracting a school single-season record 162,144 fans, breaking the previous home attendance record for a seven-game home schedule of 149,625.

• Retaining two rivalry trophies in victories over Colorado State and Hawai’i.

• Finishing the season out-scoring it’s final two opponents by a combined point total of 84 to 15.

Wyoming’s Recent Bowl Success the Best in School History

Wyoming will be making its sixth bowl appearance in the past eight seasons under the direction of head coach Craig Bohl, which is the only time in school history that Wyoming has made that many bowl appearances in that span of time.  The Cowboys have posted a 3-2 bowl record in its previous five bowl appearances under Bohl.

This year’s appearance will be Wyoming’s 19th bowl appearance in history.  The Cowboys are 9-9 overall in bowl games.

Bohl and his coaching staff have set a new standard for Cowboy Football.  A year ago in 2022, Bohl became the first head coach in Wyoming Football history to take five Cowboy teams to bowl games.  He now extends that record to become the first Cowboy head coach to take six teams to bowl games.

Included in Wyoming’s bowl-game appearances during the Bohl era are the: 2016 Poinsettia Bowl, 2017 Potato Bowl, 2019 Arizona Bowl, 2021 Potato Bowl, 2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl and the 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl.  Prior to Bohl, UW Athletics Hall of Fame Coach Paul Roach had held the record, taking three Wyoming teams to bowl games (1987, ‘88 and ‘90).

Follow Wyoming Cowboy Football for Additional Information

For additional information on Wyoming Football as they prepare to play in the 2023 Arizona Bowl, follow the Cowboys on GoWyo.com, on Twitter and Instagram at wyo_football and on Facebook at wyofootball