When the University of Wyoming football team takes the field Oct. 25 for the 117th Border War against Colorado State University, there’ll be a noticeable color contrast.
As the Pokes compete for the coveted Bronze Boot, they’ll temporarily ditch their traditional brown and gold uniforms for all-over coal black.
Instead of the iconic UW colors, the team will take the field in coal-black jerseys with bold white letters. The alternative uniform is part of a one-game-only partnership between the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Mining Association to honor the Cowboy State’s coal industry.
"The partnership with the Wyoming Mining Association is something that is special, as the coal mining industry is such an important part of the culture of Wyoming," UW Director of Athletics Tom Burman said in a statement. "We are honored to celebrate the great men and women of the coal industry and have the opportunity to show how Cowboy Tough is a way of life and not just a saying."
The bold change is already being embraced by UW fans and everyone associated with the crucial coal industry.
The Pokes will be channeling the energy of football fans and the state’s top industry at War Memorial Stadium that night.
“Anything we can do to jack ourselves up to beat the Sheep is fine with me,” said Cowboys super fan and longtime season ticket-holder Sally Ann Shurmur. “It’s going to be a really cool look for the Border War.”
Not A Novelty
Novelty uniforms have become a fun twist on a classic for sports teams across the nation. Some programs, like the University of Oregon, take that to the next level, sporting alternative uniforms for most games.
Sporting a unique uniform can do everything from harkening back to history to promoting causes like breast cancer awareness.
UW hasn’t been immune to novelty uniforms in the past, but Shurmur thought the overall trend has gone a little too far. For her, the ubiquity of the novelty depends on “who’s in charge of the ship.”
“Dave Christensen loved alternative uniforms, and he had a jillion of them,” she said, referencing UW's football coach from 2009-2013. “The meaning of most of them was lost on people, and they just got to be kind of silly.”
When Craig Bohl had his first press conference as Christensen's replacement, he pledged to throw all the novelty uniforms on a bonfire. He didn’t fulfill that pledge during his tenure for reasons outside his control.
“Bohl was such a traditionalist: strictly brown and gold, no names on the uniforms,” Shurmur said. “I know he ruffled some feathers when he said he was going to burn the alternative uniforms, but Burman said, ‘No, you're not. They’re state property and they cost money.'”
A Fast And Furious Tribute
Wyoming isn’t the first team to don coal black. The West Virginia University Mountaineers debuted their “Coal Rush” uniform and helmet in 2024, generating widespread acclaim from the state’s mining community.
The concept for UW to try a coal-inspired uniform was presented to the Wyoming Mining Association during the 2025 Wyoming Legislature.
“The genesis of the Cowboys and Coal game came about earlier this winter in the state Capitol,” Travis Deti, executive director of the Wyoming Mining Association, told Cowboy State Daily. “I was speaking with some staff from Governor Gordon's office, and they brought up the idea of reaching out to the UW Athletic Department and to do something with the coal industry and Cowboy football.”
Deti reached out to UW and several coal operators, and everyone agreed that it would be a great opportunity. They spent “a fast and furious summer” gathering sponsors, ultimately finding 21 partners to help put the new uniforms on the field.
For Deti, the Cowboys and Coal game “couldn’t be a better game at a better time.” It’s a great way of celebrating a crucial Wyoming industry and what it’s done for the state and the nation.
“The coal industry has been there for Wyoming for a very long time,” he said. “It builds our roads and schools, including the University of Wyoming, generates a lot of revenue for our state and local governments, and provides the power that every American uses every day.”
For Shurmur, the coal-black uniforms aren’t another alternative uniform. Instead of being a novelty for novelty’s sake, they’ve been deliberately designed to be evocative of Wyoming.
“Coal is extremely important to Wyoming,” she said, “It’s been a huge and important part of our past. I’m pretty traditional, a brown and gold girl, but I think these uniforms are awesome.”
Brought To You By . . .
UW says the Wyoming Mining Association and its 21 coal-powered partners played “an instrumental role in putting together the Cowboys and Coal contest.” Shurmur sees the uniforms as “a statewide uniting effort” that will go a long way to show the state’s appreciation for the coal industry.
“Business sponsors for games are a really big thing now, and so many people under the umbrella of the Wyoming Mining Association have come together to sponsor this game,” she said. “That’s really cool.
Deti sees the uniforms as a tribute to the thousands of people, past and present, who keep the coal industry going with their labor and dedication. The industry wouldn’t be what it is without them.
“We want to celebrate the thousands of men and women who work in the industry,” he said. “Now is as good a time as any to give them a pat on the back, say thank you, and celebrate what they've done for Wyoming.”
Cowboys And Coal
Before the 5:30 p.m. kickoff for the Oct. 25 Border War, uniformed miners will lead the Cowboys onto the field. During the contest, all current and former miners, as well as those businesses associated with the mining industry, will be recognized.
Despite his vital role in bringing this partnership about, Deti hasn’t seen the full uniform. He’ll be “just as surprised as anyone” when the Pokes take the field that night.
The decision to debut the coal black uniforms during the Border War, the most anticipated game of UW’s football season, was made by the UW Athletics Department. Deti’s thrilled that they selected that game for the Cowboys and Coal contest.
“When Wyoming and CSU meet on the football field, you throw out the records, strap it up, and lay for the Bronze Boots,” he said. “It’s going to be a great night, and the team will look great. We’re really looking forward to it.”
UW will unveil the full uniform next week. Shurmur's also excited to see how black and white looks in War Memorial Stadium, so long as they don’t abandon the classic aesthetic.
“I think doing it against CSU is great, but I would not be a fan beyond that,” she said. “Going completely away from the brown and gold to the starkness of the black is really something different, and saluting coal is fine, but Wyoming is brown and gold.”
Still, the starkness of the black and white uniforms will add a whole new dynamic to the Border War. As a self-professed UW super fan, Shurmur is looking forward to what it’ll bring to the iconic showdown.
“It’s going to be a whole vibe on the 25th, and I'm really excited about it,” she said.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
