Wyoming
Wyoming Fans React to Four MW Teams Leaving for Pac-12 Conference
LARAMIE — Four Mountain West programs Thursday announced intentions to join the rebuilding Pac-12 Conference before the 2026 season.
One of those is Colorado State, Wyoming’s Border War rival.
You can imagine how that is sitting with the locals. Not helping matters is the lackluster 0-2 start to the football season.
San Diego State, Fresno State and Boise State are also bolting, leaving the league, for now, with just eight member institutions: Air Force, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah State, UNLV, San Jose State and the Cowboys.
What does it all mean?
Your guess is as good as mine. UW’s athletic department is silent. Other leaders around the conference are throwing out cookie-cutter statements, saying they will do what’s best for their university moving forward.
Will the Mountain West add any teams? Is anyone else jumping ship? Will the longest rivalry west of the Mississippi continue after next season? Is Tom Burman attempting to get the Pokes in a new league?
Right now, there are more questions than answers. Still, Wyoming fans sounded off on the world wide web bright and early this morning when the news officially broke:
John Gunn Why don’t we just add the pac 12 to the mountain west?
Jeff White The MWC tv deal expires soon and the PAC 12 will have a better one. Additionally, I doubt this over. UNLV and New Mexico are likely next because of their TV markets.
Travis WebB It’s not disloyalty, it’s smart
Bryce Marston Pac-12 Lite will dissolve in less than a decade, once all their saved up TV revenue from when that conference was legitimate disappears. People in LA, San Fran, Seattle, etc. TV markets aren’t going to care about the sheep vs Beavers when they can watch UCLA/USC/Washington/Oregon/etc. play Michigan/Ohio State/etc.
Darren Thompson IOW, Burman on a beach in the Caribbean and cannot be reached
Jon Michael Ernster So much for the Mountain West teams staying strong together. Money talks though, can’t blame them. MW still gets buy outs and the Pac buyouts – should have negotiated it higher knowing this was going to happen anyway. Oregon State and Washington State needed a temporary lifeline and had no leverage. This is why other conferences are successful, because their leadership are savages, whereas we’re stuck in the corner kicking rocks always being reactionary instead of being proactive.
Michael Swann Hopefully they are on the phone trying to negotiate a better deal!! Strike first, strike fast no mercy sir!
Travis WebB This is what happens by settling for 6-6 seasons and having a coach for 10yrs and not winning a conference championship
Todd Ayers I remember when we left the WAC people acted like there was no tomorrow. Wyoming will be playing division I (FBS) football next year. New rivalries will be made. Life will go on. That’s college football today. Expect constant change.
Rich Arner Why not invite Wyoming to the PAC 12? Why can’t Wyoming get an invite. Our fan base is more loyal than half those teams!
Garet Fowler As long as we don’t go FCS I don’t care what happens.
Mark Reid BSU, Fresno State and SDSU certainly make sense in the Pac 12. Never did think of them as true intermountain west teams. CSU on the other hand is showing its true colors and any sense of loyalty to the region by deserting to the left coast. Hope they get waxed.
Chris Krassin It’s the end of college sport as we know it. Wyoming and the rest of the schools will likely end up in the FCS division or some of the lucky ones will go to other conferences such as Air Force. So sad I’ve already stopped watching college sports other than Wyoming and that will most likely be the end of this as well.
Miles Williams CSU has a hard time winning games in the MWC….in every sport…
Joe Hatley Wyoming needs to make these 3 changes: 1. Put a Dome on the stadium, (It will make a world of difference for recruiting, future games and fan attendance in November!) 2. Reach out to the Big 12, far better conference and travel is realistic 3. Hire a new AD that can be accountable and has some influence.
Shea Foster You guys can make fun of CSU but they are about to have a better TV deal than Wyoming and the leftovers. The lack of winning in revenue sports is catching up to Burman now.
Celyn Rogers They’re about to get their butts kicked for years to come they can’t even compete in the MW currently in FB and BB which are the only sports that truly matter
Bryan Stevens This is far from over. The number of schools invited shines a light on the 2PAC wishing that the ACC will implode and Cal and Stanford will come back to them. In reality they’re going to end up inviting an additional 5 MW schools to get to the magic number of 9 schools required to dissolve the MW and avoid the hundreds of millions of dollars in buyout fees.
Trey Blough Been saying it since all the conference realignment started happening that if the Mountain West gets poached away and falls, Wyoming will be in the Big Sky
Kevin Bommer This has been a long time coming. Not surprised about Boise State OR SDSU, especially BSU since they’ve never been happy in the conference. CSU will do great at sucking in a new conference, but I hope there is a commitment to keep The Border War alive. There are some competitive football schools that could be invited into the MWC. Hopefully, there has already been some work done ahead of time in anticipation of this possibility.
Charlie Cordova It’s a lateral move that really doesn’t make sense. It’s not like they attract more money and prestige with the pac 12 name without all the pac 12 programs.
David Coleman Wyoming’s major problem isn’t the team or the university or facilities, it’s the small media market.
Jason Ferguson RIP Mountain West. I think it’s high time Wyoming consider moving down to FCS in football. Join the Big Sky or Missouri Valley Conference. The writing is on the wall. On a side note, the MWC throws the PAC-12 a lifeline and this is how they are repaid?
Chase Appleby Move to FCS? Tell me how that even makes sense after the past 8 years? Folks.. Mtn West Championship Game 2 Power 5 wins 6 bowl games 5 winning seasons Take a breath Wyoming will be fine.
Andrew Bercich So we don’t have to deal with Boise fans anymore and we get to keep UNLV… sold!
Joe Vincent So…. I got LIT UP last year for suggesting maybe wyoming was better suited for the FCS. Anyone still want to make an argument? We have no wins. No talent. And no conference after this year. We just got clowned by a mediocre FCS school. To think we are too good to “move down” might be delusional at this point… just throwing it out there for discussion.
Scott Addison money talks, MWC is going the way of the WAC, off into the sunset, Wyoming should beg the Big Sky and Missouri Valley Conference to accept them
Linda Siebert Beidleman I have bled Brown and Gold for over 60 years, and have watched the Pokes get left behind and leave others behind. We have always adjusted and been a leader and competed at a high level. Let things shake out!!! And stop with the idea of stepping down a level!!!
Randy Tucker A sad departure, especially CSU…no one beats the sheep like the Cowboys…The MWC is still a viable conference but won’t generate the big bucks that is driving all this insanity…in the end will USC and Washington generate enough $$ with football to offset the cost of travel for the non-revenue sports? USC has 35+ scholarship sports….ridiculous
Chris Krassin Beg lower level FCS Division conference to take us? Sorry but this is not something a proud school should ever do.
Nick Poncelow Big Sky looks like a pretty fun conference, also easier and cheaper travel for away games. We could actually compete with the top of the FCS, sometimes.
Matthew P Pacheco Not sure this is the death knell for the MWC and Wyo that people are making it out to be. Boise and SDSU have had one foot out the door for over a decade. Everyone knew it was going to happen at some point in the near future. That reality was probably one of the barriers to negotiating a new TV contract. Finding replacements for them has probably been planned long in advance. CSU isn’t really a loss for anyone other than Wyoming and maybe AF. The CO front range is not much of a college sports market, and the people who are into CFB are mostly transplants who follow their hometown schools. Fresno is probably the only real loss for the conference as a whole. They’ve been competitive for a long time and have slowly built some cred. But they aren’t a tent-pole program, and they aren’t in a major TV market. They weren’t going to bring in a ton of extra TV money for the whole conference. The remaining members of the MWC come away from this with $13M each. Likely more in their pockets than keeping Boise and SDSU over the next 5 years (which wasn’t going to happen anyway). UNLV has the potential to be a real powerhouse in the NIL era, and could be the tent-pole program for the MWC that Boise always thought they were. The MWC can add NMST and UTEP, or some of the regional FCS powers can move up to FBS. The TV deal isn’t going to be great, but it will probably be about the same deal they would have gotten (since everyone knew Boise and SDSU were gone soon regardless) It will be enough for all the schools to continue on at the same level of funding they have been.
Rex Wimmer I’m bummed but not surprised… Hoping the MWC picks up NMSU, UTEP, NDSU, and SDSU. From there further expansion is probably needed.
Paul Lang Remember Wyoming left 3 conferences before the MW. RMAC,MSC and WAC
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
The rules are simple: What was the player’s impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.
This isn’t a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220’s Cody Tucker are Robert Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.
We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS — only we hope this catalog is fairer.
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
– University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) is proud to announce the
public installation of 250 Portraits, a community art project featuring self-portraits created and submitted by Wyoming residents from across the state. Launched in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the project invited Wyomingites of all ages and backgrounds to submit portraits of themselves or other Wyoming residents, resulting in a vibrant and deeply personal collection of artwork.
Portraits were submitted by artists ranging in age from 5 to over 80, representing residents from 16 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Participants included individuals, families, school groups, and educators who worked with their students to take part. The result is a wide-ranging snapshot of the people who call Wyoming home, from young children just beginning to express themselves through art to lifelong residents reflecting on decades of experience and identity.
The portraits are now on display in five large-scale grid installations located throughout downtown Jackson. They can be found at the Center for the Arts, JH Book Trader, the Antler Inn, the alley at Pinky G’s, and the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge. The exhibition will remain on view throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to take in the full collection at their own pace.
The exhibit, 250 Portraits, was designed to highlight both individual identity and collective belonging, weaving together faces from communities large and small into a single, statewide visual portrait of Wyoming’s people. By placing the work in accessible, high-traffic locations in downtown Jackson, JHPA hopes to spark conversation among residents and visitors about what it means to be part of a community that spans such a wide and varied landscape.
A self-guided walking map is available to help visitors navigate between the five sites and experience other public art projects throughout Jackson. For more information and to access the 2026 Public Art Map, visit https://www.jhpublicart.org/art/2026map.
Pair your portrait with an audio story! Please consider adding your voice to another state-wide project celebrating the stories of everyday Wyomingites: Re-Storying the West.
All over Wyoming, there are little free libraries in neighborhoods for those who are looking for a new book. The process is simple. Take a book and leave one for others to experience.
READ MORE: Wyoming’s Little Libraries
We also have neighborhood food pantries for families in a pinch who need a little help. Again, the process is easy. Take a meal, and when you’re able, leave one for another family in need.
READ MORE: A New Local Neighborhood Food Pantry System in Wyoming
Several of the North Platte River’s access points have loaner life jackets. Once again, it’s simple. If you need a life jacket, take one, then return it to another access point for others who need it.
READ MORE: Return The Loaner Life Jackets After You Use Them
These are fantastic programs across the state that show how much communities care about others. I found another program that I think would really fly here, and it’s already going strong in some places around the country, like Montana.
The process, just like these other programs, is simple but very effective. With Wyoming fisheries being so popular, these could help make it an even bigger global sensation.
Flybrary – Take a fly, leave a fly.
I saw this article on FlyLordsMag.com and thought it was fantastic.
Montana artist Brandi Massey is passionate about fly fishing, and she used her own experience of leaving her fly box at home when leaving for a fly fishing trip. After that experience, she remembered seeing a “Flybrary” on her social media timeline and decided to jump into action and do her own version of the “Flybrary” to ensure other fly fishing trips don’t get ruined because of not having any flies.
She had her dad build the box, got her permits, and put up her first “Flybrary” on the Blackfoot River, and has more in the works.
In the article, Brandi explained why she decided to do it.
I’ve been fly fishing since I could hold a fly pole in my hand. Always trying to catch more fish than my dad. I love the fly fishing community and this is a great way to stay connected to the community. I’m an artist and this is an amazing way to show a piece of myself to the world.
Have you ever seen a “Flybrary” out in the wild? LET ME KNOW HERE
The 22 Top Game Fish Of Wyoming
Wyoming
Warrant issued for man suspected of false bomb tip at Banner-Wyoming Medical Center on May 19
CASPER, Wyo. — Casper police believe they know the man who made an unfounded claim about possibly seeing a bomb at Banner-Wyoming Medical Center on the morning of May 19.
In that incident, 20 law enforcement officers responded and the Natrona County Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team did a floor-by-floor search, restricting non-emergency access to the hospital and roadways on the perimeter, according to Detective Andrew Hamilton’s report.
After the case was assigned, Hamilton listened to the recording of the 911 call, which came in at 4:11 a.m. that day. The caller stated, “Listen, I was there, and I think that someone has a bomb there. So I’m just calling in to tell you.”
Hamilton noted that the caller seemed out of breath.
Dispatch asked the caller where he was in the hospital. The caller said, “Just in the main part, anyways.”
The caller hung up after the next question.
Hospital security told Hamilton there hadn’t been any activity in the ER for the three hours prior to the report, and every other entrance would have been locked at that time.
The Casper-Natrona County Public Safety Communications Center logs showed the phone number had no subscriber service, but was still able to call out to 911. The GPS information said the call came from Evansville. Hamilton checked the area, but nothing was located.
The same number had reportedly called 911 eight days earlier, on May 11. That caller said it was accidental. He reportedly identified himself with the first name “Dylan” and confirmed his location to be in Bar Nunn.
A Natrona County Sheriff’s Office deputy went to the residence and contacted several people. One of them, 24-year-old New Mexico resident Caleb Jeremiah Bacallao, reportedly admitted that he’d accidentally called “and didn’t respond to officers because he did not like law enforcement,” the report said.
Hamilton listened to that call recording and noted a strong resemblance in the caller’s voice, as well as the use of “anyways” as a filler word.
Bacallao had no fixed address listed, and the people at the house in Bar Nunn said they’d told him not to come back after the May 11 incident. He was not located elsewhere.
Hamilton’s May 21 warrant request charges Bacallao with falsely reporting an emergency, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Bacallao has pleaded guilty in district court to a felony drug possession charge and two counts of theft over $1,000. In the second theft case, prosecutor Amanda Kirby told the judge Bacallao used a baby stroller to smuggle merchandise out of Walmart.
Bacallao has an agreement for probation in each felony case, with four to seven years suspended on one of them.
Public Defender Steve Mink said at the April 29 hearing that Bacallao had had his bond modified after getting accepted into Adult Drug Court. Part of his bond conditions were to work with the state corrections department on his presentence report and not violate the law.
Bacallao is presumed innocent of the false bomb tip unless found or pleading guilty.
The arrest warrant was issued on June 11.
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