Wyoming
Why Wyoming fans are ready to welcome BYU football back to Laramie
LARAMIE, Wyo. — The most iconic bar in town may surprise you.
It hangs from the ceiling at the Buck Horn, a popular watering hole in downtown Laramie just a half mile away from the University of Wyoming campus, ripped from a football goal post with a simple, framed explanation hanging below:
Nov. 13, 1999. Wyoming 31, BYU 17.
On an unusually warm autumn evening a quarter-century ago, upon toppling the No. 15-ranked Cougars (and preventing them from earning an outright conference championship), a rowdy sea of Cowboy fans spilled onto the field at War Memorial Stadium in hysteria, tearing down a goal post and marching it down Grand Avenue through the heart of Laramie.
“They don’t like it when you do that now,” Wyoming student government representative Rece Robertson said of the impromptu goal post removal. “But there will be a lot of energy and hype around town if Wyoming beats BYU this weekend.”
There’s already a palpable buzz throughout Cowboy country as the Cougars come to visit for the first time since 2009. The Buck Horn’s famous crossbar is just one reminder of how hot the historic rivalry once burned, and those fiery feelings toward BYU have never been forgotten.
“It was always such a dark, good rivalry,” Wyoming alumna Erin Rumsey said. “The whole state felt that BYU was a team we couldn’t beat. Sometimes we did, but usually we didn’t. Winning against BYU is a huge deal.”
The Cougars and Cowboys shared four conferences — the Rocky Mountain, Skyline, WAC and Mountain West — over an 88-year span. They’ve faced off on 79 occasions, with BYU holding a 46-30-3 series advantage along with a current nine-game win streak.
With Saturday’s contest between the two teams being just the third since 2010, I set out to gauge the rivalry’s current temperature around Laramie, mingling with dozens of students, alumni and locals around town to see if any hostility toward BYU still remains.
Long story short: It does.
Many individuals I spoke with declined to be quoted, though their colorful vocabulary would have been impossible to print anyway. While not every conversation was R-rated, the overwhelming consensus suggested widespread contempt for the Cougars even after all these years.
“I could never forget our chants against BYU — they should never be repeated or printed,” said Lee Feather, a ′77 Wyoming grad who traveled from the northern part of the state for Saturday’s game. “I honestly don’t know why we don’t like BYU. It’s just always been that way. … Disliking BYU is just part of being a Cowboys fan, even still today.”
Though Wyoming students still consider Colorado State to be their foremost foe, BYU still and will always register as a rival on campus, where hundreds of alumni are returning from all across the country to catch Saturday’s action. Given the excitement, you would hardly realize the Cowboys are 0-2 thus far on the season.
“I think it will always be a rivalry and the students will always consider it like that, just given the history of these two teams,” said Mason Riding, the sports editor for Wyoming’s campus publication the Branding Iron. “It just makes sense. There’s a lot of passion here when it comes to rivalries, and we get really excited for these games … especially just because it’s been so long since BYU has come to town, and it will probably be a really long time if they even come back again.”
I received a number of explanations for the continued angst against the Cougars. The win-loss record over the years is one thing, but BYU’s perceived arrogance in bolting from the Mountain West more than a decade ago is still a sore subject. Others claimed that LaVell Edwards-led teams played dirty or “held the refs in their pocket.”
“That 1981 game was so much fun,” Feather said of Wyoming’s 33-20 win over the No. 13-ranked Cougars. “Jim McMahon was such a turkey, I really hated him. Wins against BYU just stick with you.”
And then there is religion. “Christians in our community have a hard time with (BYU) for whatever reason,” Rumsey explains.
The Black 14 scandal is still a heavy chapter in school lore. Fraternity houses are currently flying flags with mild digs, and Wyoming’s Western Thunder Marching Band plans to change the lyrics to its famous “Beer Song” to poke light fun at BYU’s stone-cold sober status. “It’s out of love,” a band member insists.
One woman even took issue with BYU’s pregame alumni tailgate sponsoring a food drive to give back to underprivileged individuals in Laramie. “They think they’re so much holier than us, and it’s fake,” she ranted.
“(Wyoming fans) are not shy or afraid of talking trash,” said one male student who wished to remain anonymous. “You’re going to hear a lot of banter from the student section about that (religious) aspect, and there may be chants that are mocking the religion. … I don’t think it’s necessarily hate speech or anything like that, I just think it’s part of the rivalry that people get really into and (religion) is an aspect that plays into it.”
Even with all of the animosity, wherever it may be coming from, the Cougars’ return to War Memorial Stadium feels almost perfectly timed. With the Pac-12′s addition of four Mountain West schools — including Colorado State — Wyoming’s future seems to be in flux. Both its conference and rivalry outlooks are murky, and it would be easy for the Cowboys to be counted out of the new college football landscape.
“We’re definitely a much smaller campus and don’t generally get as many superstars; we’re always kind of (nationally) treated like the bottom of the barrel, which I don’t always think is fair,” Robertson said. “It will be a good feeling for the college and the community to have somebody in town (like BYU) that we’ve played constantly over the years.”
To many, BYU being back in town is an appreciated distraction from Wyoming’s uncertainty ahead, along with a reminder of torn-down goal posts, beating McMahon and other warm memories from the good ol’ days.
Clinging to such memories will be needed in a place like Laramie.
“Wyoming is never in the (realignment) conversation, their name doesn’t ever really get thrown around there,” Riding added. “With BYU coming in, it’s rejuvenating for everyone, especially if Wyoming wins.”
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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