(Aug. 31, 2007) -- At 5:35 p.m. on Friday night the last ticket was sold for Saturday’s home opener between the Wyoming Cowboys and Virginia Cavaliers. War Memorial Stadium will be filled to its capacity of 30,514. That will set a new opening day record for the War Memorial Stadium. The previous home opening record was 29,134 set on Sept. 14, 1985 versus Air Force.
This Saturday’s contest between Wyoming and Virginia is one of the most anticipated games to be played in War Memorial Stadium in years. Virginia is only the second Atlantic Coast Conference team to visit Laramie. The only other ACC team to play in War Memorial Stadium was North Carolina State back on Sept. 23, 1961. Wyoming won that game by a score of 15-14.
A total of 10,000 Gameday Gold T-shirts will be handed out to the first 10,000 fans entering the stadium on Saturday. Those T-Shirts will be distributed at all gates.
The UW Athletics Department is encouraging fans to show up early for the game to help eliminate lines in the parking areas and lines entering the stadium.
For fans who ordered their tickets and are planning on picking up those tickets at will call on Saturday they should be aware of the following will call areas on gameday.
a. Will call for people who have purchased tickets online or over the phone through the UW Athletics Ticket Office can pick up those tickets at one of two locations on Saturday morning. The main Athletics Ticket Office location on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium, which will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday. There will also be two will call windows on the south side of War Memorial Fieldhouse that will open at 8 a.m.
b. If you are a family member or guest of a Wyoming football player you will need to pick up the tickets left for you by your student-athlete at the will call at Gate 7 on the northeast corner of the stadium. That will call gate opens at 10 a.m.
c. Football Recruits and High School Coaches who previously arranged to pick up tickets also need to go to Gate 7 on the northeast corner of the stadium starting at 10 a.m.
d. Will call for Media members is at the main Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-
Auditorium.
e. Will call for Virginia fans, who purchased tickets through the Virginia Athletics Department will
need to pick up their tickets at Gate 2 on the south end of the stadium beginning at 10 a.m.
f. Virginia fans who purchased tickets through the UW Athletics Ticket Office need to go to either the main UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium or at one of the two will call windows on the south side of War Memorial Fieldhouse.
In addition to picking up tickets early, fans are also encouraged to enter the stadium early to help eliminate any last-minute lines at the gates.
This year’s visit to Laramie by the Virginia Cavaliers is only the second time in history that
an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team has played in Laramie, Wyo. The first came in 1961
when North Carolina State, led by All-America quarterback Roman Gabriel, came to War
Memorial Stadium. The Wyoming Cowboys won that game by a score of 15-14.
The Wyoming Cowboys and Virginia Cavaliers will be meeting for only the second time in
the two schools’ histories. A year ago, Wyoming lost in single overtime at Virginia by a score of
12-13.
Wyoming enters this week’s 2007 season opener having won its last three consecutive
games dating back to Oct. 14, 2006, when UW defeated Utah 31-15 in Laramie. The Pokes
followed that home victory with two more over Colorado State (24-0 on Oct. 21) and against San
Diego State (27-24 on Nov. 4). The last time Wyoming lost at home was versus Air Force on Sept.
23, 2006, by a score of 24-31.
Virginia Will Be the Second ACC Team in History to Visit War Memorial
Stadium: The University of Wyoming Football schedule for 2007 will be a historic one. For
only the second time in UW history, the Cowboys will host a member of the Atlantic Coast
Conference (ACC) in Laramie when the University of Virginia Cavaliers open Wyoming’s schedule
on Saturday, Sept. 1.
Other than Virginia, the only other ACC school to visit War Memorial Stadium was North
Carolina State back in 1961 in a game the Cowboys won by a score of 15-14. Last year, Virginia
and Wyoming played for the first time in the two schools’ histories. The game went to overtime
with UVa. capturing a 13-12 win in Charlottesville, Va.
Like Father, Like Son: Both Wyomng and Virginia will feature father-son coaching
combinations this week.
Wyoming has head coach Joe Glenn and his son, Casey Glenn, who is in his first year as
Wyoming’s Director of Football Operations. Casey Glenn was a Little All-American at Carroll
College in Helena, Mont., helping lead the Saints to the 2002 NAIA National Championship.
The Virginia Cavaliers have head coach Al Groh and offensive coordiator Mike Groh both
on their staff. Mike Groh is in his seventh season at Virginia where he was an outstanding
quarterback in the early 1990s.
2007 Cowboy Football Season Kicks Off Sept. 1 With the Theme Being
“Embrace the Tradition”:
The 2007 college football season will kick off for the Wyoming
Cowboys on Saturday, Sept. 1 when UW hosts the Virginia Cavaliers in a noon start time. The
focus of the UW Athletics Department for the 2007-08 athletic seasons is a return to tradition,
including traditional school colors and a focus on traditions of the past. The theme for this year’s
athletic seasons is “Embrace the Tradition”.
The Cowboys will wear the traditional school colors of brown and gold. The return to a
brighter gold color worn throughout UW’s history will be featured on Wyoming team uniforms.
The new color, called “Gameday Gold”, will replace the “Prairie Gold” of recent years. UW’s
mascot, Cowboy Joe the Pony, will be made more visible, leading the team on the field and
appearing on the field after each Wyoming score this season. For the season opener versus
Virginia, 10,000 Gameday Gold T-shirts will be handed out to the first 10,000 fans entering the
gates at War Memorial Stadium.
“It’s exciting to see our fans embrace the return to the traditional colors,” said UW Athletics
Director Tom Burman. “We are excited to incorporate those traditions that have meant so much
to our alumni and fans throughout the history of our program. We want fans to not only embrace
our past, but jump on board for the future.”
Cowboys Will Return Some of the Most Exciting Players in the MWC in 2007:
The Wyoming Cowboys will return some of the most exciting players in the Mountain West
Conference for the 2007 season.
Among UW’s exciting players returning and their 2006 statistics are as follows.
Wyoming Player Key Stats:
#46 Wade Betschart, Sr., TE/H-Back •Second Team All-MWC as a junior
#29 Ward Dobbs, Jr., ILB •Second Team All-MWC as a sophomore
# 8 Michael Ford, Sr., WR •Honorable Mention All-MWC as a junior
•Ranked No. 2 in the MWC and No. 39 in the NCAA
in receptions (5.00 receptions per game)
# 6 Hoost Marsh, Sr., WR/RS •Ranked No. 6 in MWC and No. 51 in the NCAA
in punt returns (8.5 yards per return)
•A former First Team All-MWC return specialist
#28 Michael Medina, Sr., CB •Ranked No. 8 in the MWC in passes defended
as a junior (0.75 per game)
# 5 Devin Moore, Jr., RB •Ranked No. 6 in the MWC in kickoff returns
(16.3 yards per return)
•Ranked No. 8 in MWC in all-purpose yards (77.7 ypg)
•Ranked No. 9 in MWC in rushing (47.8 yards per game)
#31 Wynel Seldon, Jr., RB •Ranked No. 7 in the MWC and No. 100 in the NCAA
in rushing (55.5 yards per game)
#20 Julius Stinson, Sr., CB •Honorable Mention All-MWC as a junior
#16 Karsten Sween, So., QB •Honorable Mention Freshman All-American as named
by the Sporting News
•Posted a 5-2 record as a freshman starter in 2006
•Ranked No. 6 in MWC in passing (144.9 yards per game)
#25 Billy Vinnedge, Sr., P •Ranked No. 4 in the MWC and No. 21 in the NCAA
in punting (43.2 yards per punt)
