War Memorial Stadium , the Cowboys' home since 1950.
This is a list of seasons completed by the Wyoming Cowboys football team . Representing the University of Wyoming , the Cowboys compete in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA Division I FBS . Wyoming plays their home games out of 29,181-seat War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming . The Cowboys began playing football as an independent in 1893 and joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1916. The team played in the Western Athletic Conference from 1962 to 1998 , and joined the Mountain West in 1999. They are currently led by head coach Jay Sawvel , who was named head coach on December 6, 2023, following the retirement of Craig Bohl .
Wyoming has three main rivalries, each with Mountain West opponents. The most notable of these is the Border War played against the Colorado State Rams . The winner receives the prized "Bronze Boot ". Wyoming has won the last two meetings in the rivalry. The Cowboys also have rivalries with Hawaii and Utah State , the latter known as "Bridger's Battle".
Seasons
Legend
†National Champions
† Conference champions
‡ Division champions
^Bowl game berth
List of Wyoming Cowboys football seasons[ 1]
Season
Team
Head coach
Conference
Division
Regular season results
Postseason results
Final ranking[ 2]
Overall
Conference
Bowl game/Playoff result
AP Poll
Coaches' Poll
Win
Loss
Tie
Win
Loss
Tie
Finish
Wyoming Cowboys
1893
1893
Fred Hess
Independent
—
1
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1894
1894
Fred Hess J.F. Soule
3
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1895
1895
J.F. Soule
1
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1896
1896
2
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1896
1896
2
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1898
1898
Fred Hess
0
4
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1899
1899
J.F. Soule
0
1
1
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1900
1900
William McMurray
3
3
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1901
1901
1
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1902
1902
1
0
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1903
1903
3
2
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1904
1904
4
1
1
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1905
1905
3
4
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1906
1906
1
1
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1907
1907
Robert Ehlman
2
1
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1908
1908
1
2
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1909
1909
H.I. Dean
3
5
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1910
1910
4
4
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1911
1911
4
3
1
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1912
1912
L.C. Excelby
2
7
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1913
1913
Ralph Thacker
0
5
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1914
1914
1
5
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1915
1915
John Corbett
2
6
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1916
1916
Rocky Mountain
1
4
0
1
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1917
1917
3
4
0
1
4
0
7th
—
—
—
1918
1918
No games were played due to the Spanish influenza epidemic .
1919
1919
3
5
0
2
2
0
5th
—
—
—
1920
1920
4
5
1
1
4
1
7th
—
—
—
1921
1921
1
4
2
1
3
2
7th
—
—
—
1922
1922
1
8
0
0
7
0
11th
—
—
—
1923
1923
0
8
0
0
7
0
11th
—
—
—
1924
1924
William Dietz
2
6
0
2
6
0
10th
—
—
—
1925
1925
6
3
0
4
3
0
5th
—
—
—
1926
1926
2
4
2
1
2
2
8th
—
—
—
1927
1927
4
5
0
1
4
0
10th
—
—
—
1928
1928
George McLaren
2
7
0
0
5
0
11th
—
—
—
1929
1929
1
7
0
0
7
0
12th
—
—
—
1930
1930
John Rhodes
2
5
1
1
5
1
10th
—
—
—
1931
1931
6
4
0
3
2
0
5th
—
—
—
1932
1932
2
6
1
1
4
1
8th
—
—
—
1933
1933
Willard Witte
2
6
1
1
6
1
11th
—
—
—
1934
1934
3
5
0
2
4
0
8th
—
—
—
1935
1935
4
4
0
3
4
0
8th
—
—
—
1936
1936
2
5
1
1
4
1
9th
—
—
—
1937
1937
3
5
0
2
4
0
8th
—
—
—
1938
1938
Mountain States
2
5
1
1
4
1
6th
—
—
—
1939
1939
Joel Hunt
0
7
1
0
5
1
7th
—
—
—
1940
1940
Okie Blanchard
1
7
1
0
5
1
7th
—
—
—
1941
1941
Bunny Oakes
2
7
1
1
5
0
6th
—
—
—
1942
1942
3
5
0
1
5
0
7th
—
—
—
1943
1943
Season cancelled due to World War II .
1944
1944
Season cancelled due to World War II.
1945
1945
Season cancelled due to World War II.
1946
1946
1
8
1
0
6
0
7th
—
—
—
1947
1947
Bowden Wyatt
4
5
0
2
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1948
1948
4
5
0
0
5
0
7th
—
—
—
1949
1949 †
9
1
0
5
0
0
1st †
—
—
—
1950
1950 †
10
0
0
5
0
0
1st †
Won 1951 Gator Bowl against Washington and Lee Generals , 20–7 ^
12
—
1951
1951
7
2
1
5
1
1
2nd
—
—
—
1952
1952
5
4
0
4
3
0
4th
—
—
—
1953
1953
Phil Dickens
5
4
1
4
2
1
3rd
—
—
—
1954
1954
6
4
0
5
1
0
2nd
—
—
—
1955
1955
8
3
0
5
2
0
3rd
Won 1956 Sun Bowl against Texas Tech Red Raiders , 21–14 ^
—
—
1956
1956 †
10
0
0
7
0
0
1st †
—
—
—
1957
1957
Bob Devaney
4
3
3
3
2
2
4th
—
—
—
1958
1958 †
7
3
0
6
1
0
1st †
Won 1958 Sun Bowl against Hardin–Simmons Cowboys , 14–6 ^
—
—
1959
1959 †
9
1
0
7
0
0
1st †
—
16
—
1960
1960 †
8
2
0
6
1
0
1st †
—
—
—
1961
1961 †
6
1
2
5
0
1
1st †
—
—
—
1962
1962
Lloyd Eaton
WAC
5
5
0
2
2
0
2nd
—
—
—
1963
1963
6
4
0
2
3
0
4th
—
—
—
1964
1964
6
2
2
2
2
0
4th
—
—
—
1965
1965
6
4
0
3
2
0
3rd
—
—
—
1966
1966 †
10
1
0
5
1
0
1st †
Won 1966 Sun Bowl against Florida State Seminoles , 28–20 ^
—
15
1967
1967 †
10
1
0
5
0
0
1st †
Lost 1968 Sugar Bowl against LSU Tigers , 20–13 ^
6
5
1968
1968 †
7
3
0
6
1
0
1st †
—
—
—
1969
1969
6
4
0
4
3
0
4th
—
—
—
1970
1970
1
9
0
1
6
0
8th
—
—
—
1971
1971
Fritz Shurmur
5
6
0
3
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1972
1972
4
7
0
3
4
0
5th
—
—
—
1973
1973
4
7
0
3
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1974
1974
2
9
0
1
6
0
8th
—
—
—
1975
1975
Fred Akers
2
9
0
1
6
0
7th
—
—
—
1976
1976 †
8
4
0
6
1
0
T–1st †
Lost 1976 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma Sooners , 41–7 ^
—
—
1977
1977
Bill Lewis
4
6
1
4
3
0
4th
—
—
—
1978
1978
5
7
0
4
2
0
3rd
—
—
—
1979
1979
4
8
0
2
5
0
7th
—
—
—
1980
1980
Pat Dye
6
5
0
4
4
0
4th
—
—
—
1981
1981
Al Kincaid
8
3
0
6
2
0
4th
—
—
—
1982
1982
5
7
0
2
6
0
8th
—
—
—
1983
1983
7
5
0
5
3
0
3rd
—
—
—
1984
1984
6
6
0
4
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1985
1985
3
8
0
2
6
0
8th
—
—
—
1986
1986
Dennis Erickson
6
6
0
4
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1987
1987 †
Paul Roach
10
3
0
8
0
0
1st †
Lost 1987 Holiday Bowl against Iowa Hawkeyes , 20–19 ^
—
—
1988
1988 †
11
2
0
8
0
0
1st †
Lost 1988 Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma State Cowboys , 62–14 ^
—
20
1989
1989
5
6
0
5
3
0
4th
—
—
—
1990
1990
9
4
0
5
3
0
4th
Lost 1990 Copper Bowl against Cal Golden Bears , 17–15 ^
—
—
1991
1991
Joe Tiller
4
6
1
2
5
1
6th
—
—
—
1992
1992
5
7
0
3
5
0
7th
—
—
—
1993
1993 †
8
4
0
6
2
0
T–1st †
Lost 1993 Copper Bowl against Kansas State Wildcats , 52–17 ^
—
—
1994
1994
6
6
0
4
4
0
5th
—
—
—
1995
1995
6
5
0
4
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1996 [ a]
1996 ‡
Pacific
10
2
7
1
1st ‡
—
22
22
1997
1997
Dana Dimel
7
6
4
4
4th
—
—
—
1998
1998
Mountain
8
3
6
2
2nd
—
—
—
1999
1999
Mountain West
—
7
4
4
3
4th
—
—
—
2000
2000
Vic Koenning
1
10
0
7
8th
—
—
—
2001
2001
2
9
0
7
8th
—
—
—
2002
2002
2
10
1
6
8th
—
—
—
2003
2003
Joe Glenn
4
8
2
5
8th
—
—
—
2004
2004
7
5
3
4
4th
Won 2004 Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA Bruins , 24–21 ^
—
—
2005
2005
4
7
2
6
8th
—
—
—
2006
2006
6
6
5
3
4th
—
—
—
2007
2007
5
7
2
6
7th
—
—
—
2008
2008
4
8
1
7
8th
—
—
—
2009
2009
Dave Christensen
7
6
4
4
5th
Won 2009 New Mexico Bowl against Fresno State Bulldogs , 35–28 (2OT) ^
—
—
2010
2010
3
9
1
7
8th
—
—
—
2011
2011
8
5
5
2
3rd
Lost 2011 New Mexico Bowl against Temple Owls , 37–15
—
—
2012
2012
4
8
3
5
6th
—
—
—
2013
2013
Mountain
5
7
3
5
4th
—
—
—
2014
2014
Craig Bohl
4
8
2
6
5th
—
—
—
2015
2015
2
10
2
6
6th
—
—
—
2016
2016 ‡
8
6
6
2
T–1st ‡
Lost 2016 Poinsettia Bowl against BYU Cougars , 24–21
—
—
2017
2017
8
5
5
3
2nd
Won 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Central Michigan Chippewas , 37–14
—
—
2018
2018
6
6
4
4
3rd
—
—
—
2019
2019
8
5
4
4
4th
Won 2019 Arizona Bowl against Georgia State Panthers , 38–17
—
—
2020
2020
—[ b]
2
4
2
4
8th
—
—
—
2021
2021
Mountain
7
6
2
6
4th
Won 2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Kent State Golden Flashes , 52–38
—
—
2022
2022
7
5
5
3
4th
Lost 2022 Arizona Bowl against Ohio Bobcats , 30–27
—
—
2023
2023
—
8
4
5
3
4th
Won 2023 Arizona Bowl against Toledo Rockets , 16-15
—
—
Totals
All-time: 563–599–28 (.485)
Conference: 319–378–18 (.459)
—
Postseason: 9–9 (.500)
—
—
Notes
^ Overtime rules were added to college football in 1996, thereby eliminating ties.
^ Conference divisions were eliminated for the shortened 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons