Wyoming
There's not a lot of love lost between Wyoming and BYU, even though the former conference foes no longer meet on a regular basis
BYU starting free safety Tanner Wall is a college football junkie.
After the Cougars beat SMU 18-15 on Friday, for instance, Wall spent most of Saturday watching other teams throughout the country play their games.
“This is a special game, really, when you get down to it, for our players, for our program, and for the state. They are not on any future schedule. I don’t know if they ever come back to War Memorial Stadium.”
— Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel on this week’s BYU-Wyoming game
The redshirt junior from Arlington, Virginia, might have grown up on the East Coast, but he is also well-versed in BYU football lore. That’s because he’s been a lifelong fan of the Cougars, and also because his father, Ryan, attended BYU when Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer was in Provo.
Naturally, Ryan Wall has told his son all about a BYU-Wyoming rivalry that once burned hot. Like, really, really hot.
“He has always explained to me kind of the bad blood, and really some of the energy surrounding that rivalry between us and Wyoming,” Tanner Wall said Monday as the Cougars started preparations to meet Wyoming on Saturday (7 p.m. MDT, CBS Sports Network) at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.
“I wouldn’t say I am an expert on the history there, but I do know and understand that going up there, it is kind of a hostile environment,” Tanner Wall said. “It is going to be a huge game for them, and for us. And their fans in War Memorial Stadium, it is going to be an important game for them.”
It will be BYU’s first trip to Laramie since the 2009 season, when both schools were members of the Mountain West Conference. Max Hall completed 20 of 22 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns in just over two quarters of action in a 52-0 BYU romp. BYU went independent in 2011, and Wyoming athletic director Tom Burman famously said his school had no interest in ever playing the Cougars again — in anything.
The unrest from the Brown and Gold for a program it couldn’t seem to catch since fortunes turned after the 1969 “Black 14″ incident in Laramie had reached a boiling point.
It had cooled considerably by the time 2016 rolled around and the Cougars and Cowboys found themselves squaring off in the final Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. BYU’s Kai Nacua — Puka Nacua’s oldest brother — intercepted future NFL star Josh Allen in the final minutes to preserve a 24-21 BYU win.
So when BYU and Wyoming announced a home-and-home scheduling agreement on Aug. 28, 2018, the deal was met with a high degree of surprise. BYU beat Wyoming 38-24 two years ago in Provo, the Cougars’ ninth-straight win in the series that dates back to 1922.
Now, it is BYU’s turn to return to Laramie, and the natives are restless, having not defeated BYU since a 13-10 decision in 2003 at War Memorial.
“This is a special game, really, when you get down to it, for our players, for our program, and for the state,” Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel said in a press briefing on Monday. “They are not on any future schedule. I don’t know if they ever come back to War Memorial Stadium.”
That the game is at night should add to the festive, energized atmosphere; Wyoming upset BYU 24-14 in the first night game ever played at War Memorial in 1988, intercepting Detmer — a freshman at the time — four times in the stunning victory. BYU leads the all-time series 46-30-3, but Wyoming is 17-16-3 against BYU in Laramie.
“This will be a big deal to everyone in the state of Wyoming,” said Sawvel, who replaced longtime Wyoming coach Craig Bohl in the offseason. “Not only are you playing an old rival, you are playing a really quality opponent at home, and that makes it a big deal.”
BYU players who spoke to reporters via Zoom on Monday said they are well aware of the disdain Wyoming has for BYU and are expecting a dogfight from the winless Pokes on Saturday.
“I think all us (BYU) players know that this game goes way back. Besides Utah and Utah State, the history of BYU playing Wyoming, it is the third-most played game in BYU history,” said linebacker Harrison Taggart, a Corner Canyon High product. “And we know that Wyoming is a hostile environment. We know what their fans are about, we know what their team is about. We are ready for them to give us their best shot. Yeah, we are excited to go up there.”
BYU tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase has heard all about the once-bitter rivalry from his father-in-law.
“There is a lot of history between BYU and Wyoming,” said Ta’ase, who has caught two touchdown passes this season after catching just one pass all of last season. “Funny enough, my father-in-law grew up right around there. So I have known a little bit of history behind Wyoming (games). It will be fun and we expect to get the best game from the Cowboys.”
Sawvel said it will be a “charged-up game” and he won’t need to worry about the Cowboys being ready to play, even if they are 0-2 and lost 17-13 Saturday to Idaho of the FCS ranks. The first-year head coach said nobody on the high plains has thrown in the towel.
BYU coaches say their guys will be ready to rock as well, and are taking time this week to make sure the Cougars know what they are getting into at 7,200 feet above sea level.
“Very tough place to play. Their fans are outstanding. They get after it up there. They are good fans for their team,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, a former BYU receiver.
BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill said he faced Wyoming in Laramie twice as a player when he played for the Utah Utes, and lost both times.
“It is a tough place to play. The fans are crazy. It looked like they had a phenomenal crowd last week. I love the challenge of going into a hostile environment,” Hill said. “… We are going to get Wyoming’s best shot, because they are a little wounded right now. They have not played great in games. But they have got ability and they are going to be searching for everything they can to put it back together.”
Head coach Kalani Sitake has also played and coached in Laramie, when he was a fullback for the Cougars under legendary coach LaVell Edwards, and an assistant coach at Utah.
“I know they have a passionate fan base. It is actually why college football is so good, is the fans make it real, and I know they love their team,” Sitake said. “They have a lot of pride in their team, and they are looking forward to this game, just like we are.”
Wyoming
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium | Fortune
Cheyenne, Wyoming, officials say Meta’s data center construction is responsible for the contamination of part of the town’s recycled water system.
The Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) traced the presence of a bacterium discovered in its wastewater treatment facility earlier this year to Goat Systems LLC, a Meta contractor for the tech company’s in-progress 715,000-square-foot data center campus, according to recent public notices from the BOPU.
The bacterium did not enter Cheyenne’s drinking water supply and was found in systems used for irrigation purposes only. Cupriavidus gilardii is a rare organism typically found naturally in water and soil. Infections from this bacterium are extremely rare, BOPU said, but can pose a threat to elders and immunocompromised individuals directly exposed to it.
It was discovered during routine testing in February, prompting BOPU to temporarily suspend the city’s reclaimed water irrigation program and terminate Meta’s discharge privileges.
The board also announced last week it would not accept industrial wastewater discharges associated with fill-and-flush operations—which circulates, then flushes purified water to eliminate construction debris and residue—nor closed-loop cooling systems popular in data centers that circulate coolants mixed with water.
The board classified the incident as “significant non-compliance with federal pretreatment regulations.”
“Over the past two months, BOPU staff have undertaken significant remediation efforts, including draining and disinfecting the entire reuse water system and Prairie View Pond to eliminate any remaining bacterial presence,” one notice said.
Cheyenne’s BOPU declined Fortune’s request for comment and said it will hold a press conference in the next week with additional details on the situation.
A Meta spokesperson told Fortune the company is supporting Fortis, its general contractor, in its efforts to resolve the problem, and that Fortis began testing its own water through a third-party environmental specialist, who found no traces of the bacterium.
“When the board shared that it found a substance in the city’s wastewater—not public drinking water—Fortis immediately stopped discharging industrial wastewater and began hauling it offsite,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Meta is committed to being a good neighbor in Cheyenne, including through the protection of local water resources, and will continue encouraging collaboration between Fortis and the board until this situation is resolved.”
Pollutants from data center construction and operations are part of the mounting anxieties Americans have around the exploding growth of AI infrastructure around the country. A recent Gallup poll found about 70% of Americans somewhat or strongly oppose the construction of data centers in their local area. While half of respondents cited environmental concerns, such as excess water usage and deforestation, 16% of respondents cited pollutants, including air and water contamination, among reasons for their opposition.
Meta announced the construction of the Cheyenne data center in July 2024, saying it would be the company’s 21st data center in the U.S. and 25th globally. According to the company, Cheyenne provided access to infrastructure and energy and had a large talent pool from which to recruit.
Meta projected that the $800 million investment would sustain more than 1,000 construction jobs at the height of the build and support 100 jobs once completed. The campus is one of 27 data centers in Cheyenne and 31 in Wyoming. By comparison, Northern Virginia has the most data centers in the country, with about 550.
The tech company, for its part, previously said it would allocate resources toward the energy grid and water-cleanup efforts, including working with Black Hills Energy and the Laramie County Conservation District to restore Crow Creek, which recharges the state’s Ogallala Aquifer.
“Meta wants to be a positive contributor in communities like Cheyenne,” the company’s announcement said. “And that includes investing in the energy grid and supporting local water restoration projects.”
Wyoming
Fourth Annual Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo, Wyoming Governor’s Match returning to Casper July 18, 19
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation recently announced that the community is invited to a series of events happening on July 18 and 19.
The weekend will feature the Wyoming Governor’s Match, as well as the Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo.
A release from the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation says that the 10th Annual Wyoming Governor’s Match, hosted in partnership with the Casper Shooter’s Club, will run July 18–19 at the Stuckenhoff Shooters Complex, 10 minutes outside of Casper.
The event will bring together spectators, shooting sports organizers and elected officials to interact with more than 360 competitive shooters from across the country.
Eye protection is required for spectators, and ear protection is highly recommended.
Additionally, on Saturday, July 18, the fourth annual Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo is taking place at David Street Station from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The expo is free and open to the public, and it will feature exhibitor booths, a legislative panel and family-friendly activities. It will also feature local food and drink vendors, including WY Knot Pretzel Co., The Dog House and Kuver’s BBQ.
Expo attendees will be able to explore products and gear and will be able to witness demonstrations by the following Wyoming-based brands and organizations:
- 3C Guiding LLC
- 9×19 Fabrication
- ACG
- Adventure Ready RV Solutions
- Cutting Edge Tactics and Training
- Diamond R Saddlery
- DVL Custom Lures
- FEROX
- Freedom Tactical Firearms
- Guardian Warrior Solutions
- Gunwerks
- High Carbon Mercantile
- Kimber Tracks Big Game Recovery/Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery
- Lucid Optics
- Maven Optics
- MOD Outfitters
- National Wild Turkey Federation
- Red, White and Blued
- Ridgeline Customs LLC
- Rocky Mountain Discount Sports
- Scouting America
- Sheridan Fly Rod Co.
- Thunder Beast Arms
- Wilkinson Tactical
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
- Wyoming Game & Fish Department
- Wyoming Gun Company
- Wyoming Motorcycle Trials Association
- Wyoming Patriots
The release notes that from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation will facilitate an Outdoor Recreation Legislative Panel on the lawn of David Street Station. The panel discussion is also free and open to the public and will offer legislators and elected officials an opportunity to discuss the importance of growing and sustaining the outdoor recreation and shooting sports industry.
To RSVP or learn more about the Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo, visit wyorec.info/Expo2026.
To register or learn more about the Wyoming Governor’s Match, visit wyorec.info/GovMatch2026.
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