We are lucky to live in this state. Wyoming has space, community, and a shared identity that is rare in modern America.
Other than our world class-rodeo cowboys, we don’t have professional sports franchises competing for attention.
Instead, we have something better: a common bond in the University of Wyoming. Cowboy athletics — especially football — are not just a game. They are morale, identity, and more than most people realize, economic engines.
When the Cowboys are good and War Memorial Stadium is packed, the impact ripples far beyond Laramie. Ticket sales are only the beginning. Hotels fill from Cheyenne to Rawlins. Restaurants hum. Retailers sell brown-and-gold merchandise across the state.
A winning season doesn’t just lift spirits; it quietly generates millions of dollars in economic activity.
A decent bowl appearance adds direct revenue to the university itself, beyond the shared conference payouts. More importantly, competitive athletics help drive enrollment.
Yes, UW has strong academics and comparatively low tuition, and that matters.
But young people — like it or not — want to attend colleges where football and basketball are visible and successful. Athletics are the spotlight shining on the university. When the bulb is dull, it is hard for the university to shine.
Wyoming has done a lot of things exceptionally well. Through disciplined fundraising, generous private donations, and smart legislative matching, we have built world-class facilities in Laramie.
For decades, that was enough. Facilities, culture, coaching, and grit could overcome harsh climate and a small population college town. Sadly, that era is over.
Name, Image, and Likeness money has fundamentally changed the rules of college athletics.
This is not a moral judgment; it is an observation of fact. Programs willing to commit resources can be transformed almost overnight.
Texas Tech reportedly spent $28 million on NIL and made the College Football Playoff this year.
Indiana, through a coordinated effort involving boosters, the state, and private business, spent roughly $15 million and turned its program around in two years. They are the #1 seed and sitting at 13-0 for the season.
Meanwhile, the University of Wyoming’s NIL budget for all sports combined this year was approximately $1.2 million.
For a more regional perspective, BYU reportedly spent $7 million just to land the top-rated basketball player in the country. The CU Buffs are committed to spending $20.5 million in NIL money next year.
UW officials are candid and realistic about what is needed going forward.
Wyoming does not need to spend $20 million to be competitive in the Mountain West. But, we need to be closer to $10 million or more, to compete consistently.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if we don’t adapt, we won’t merely stay mediocre winning 4-5 games per year. We will slide backward. Conference realignment has already shown how quickly programs can be left behind.
A demotion to a lower division would mean loss of television revenue, reduced donor interest, declining recruiting, and — most damaging of all — loss of pride. Once that spiral begins, it is brutally hard to reverse.
And yet, Wyoming is uniquely positioned to meet this challenge.
Few states — if any — have a financial structure like ours. We have roughly $25 billion in permanent trust funds, generating about $1.86 billion in interest income annually.
We have a $1.9 billion rainy-day fund. This is energy wealth, carefully stewarded over generations.
We understand Wyoming’s conservative spending instincts. They are a virtue, not a flaw.
Even though we can easily afford it simply carving $10 million out of the general fund and handing it to an NIL pool, the expenditure would likely raise eyebrows.
But we already have a Wyoming solution successfully used in the past. A partnership between private donations and the State.
For decades, the Legislature has matched private donations for UW facilities, multiplying the impact of philanthropy while maintaining fiscal discipline. Why not apply that same model here?
A 2-1 match — two state dollars for every private dollar raised — would incentivize donors, limit state exposure, and quickly move Wyoming into a competitive NIL position without abandoning our values.
This is not about buying championships. It is about preserving relevance, protecting economic impact, and maintaining a shared institution that binds this state together. Cowboy athletics are not a luxury; they are a strategic asset.
The rules have changed. Standing still is no longer a viable strategy — it is reckless.
The question is not whether NIL money matters for Wyoming, it already does. The question is whether we respond with creativity and partnership, or whether we wait and watch something uniquely Wyoming quickly slip away.
In this state, we pride ourselves on being innovative when addressing problems in the state. Let’s follow that strategy now. Please contact your local legislators and ask them to promote and vote in favor of state partnership on the NIL issues for UW.
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2004 - 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House. He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
Scott Ortiz is a Wyoming native and graduate of the university of Wyoming. He has practiced law in Casper since 1991. He can be reached at Sortiz@wpdn.net
