The Wyoming Cowboys are going bowling and the destination is San Diego, Calif., as the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Committee formally invited the Wyoming Cowboys on Sunday.
The game will be played on Dec. 21 and will kick off at 7 p.m., Mountain Time from Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
The opponent for the Cowboys will be an old rival -- the BYU Cougars. Wyoming will enter the game with an 8-5 overall record this season after playing for the Mountain West Conference title on Saturday. BYU is 8-4 on the season as an FBS Independent. The Cowboys and Cougars will be meeting for the first time since the 2010 season. Wyoming and BYU have played 77 previous times in the two schools histories.
“The last time Wyoming played in a San Diego bowl game was 1988,” said Mark Neville, executive director of the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. “It’s been way too long. We can’t wait to roll out the red carpet for the Cowboys football team and all their fans.”
“We are extremely excited for our team and our fans to be playing in the Poinsettia Bowl,” said University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman. “We want to thank the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Committee for inviting us to this year’s game.
“Coach (Craig) Bohl and his staff have done an incredible job of bringing Wyoming Football back to the top of the Mountain West Conference, and this is a great way for our seniors to end their college careers. This senior class has led the resurgence in Cowboy Football.
“It is a great opportunity to play an old rival in BYU. For our fans, I know this match-up will be one they will be very excited about. As with past bowl games we’ve been involved with, we look forward to seeing a great number of our fans in San Diego on Dec. 21.
“We encourage our fans to go through our UW Athletics Ticket Office to get the best available seats to this year’s game.”
“This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by our players and our coaches,” Craig Bohl, Wyoming head football coach, said.. “Having the Poinsettia Bowl select us to play in their game is a true honor and a great reward for our team,” he said.
”We are appreciative to the Poinsettia Bowl Committee for this opportunity to represent the state of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference.” Bohl said.
“It is also a great reward for our fans, who have been with us all season on this tremendous journey in bringing Cowboy Football back to a prominent position in college football.
“For our players and coaches, I couldn’t be prouder of them. To all of our players, I want to thank them for staying the course with us these last three years. It was their never-say-die attitude that has brought us to this point of earning a bowl bid.
“BYU is a program that Wyoming has a long and rich tradition with, and I anticipate a great game between two very good football teams. We can’t wait to see our Wyoming faithful in San Diego later this month.”
Wyoming’s 2016 season saw the Cowboys capture the Mountain Division title in the Mountain West Conference and play San Diego State for the MW Championship before falling by three points, 27-24. Along the way to its 8-4 record and 6-2 mark in the Mountain West, Wyoming defeated two Top 25 ranked teams. The Cowboys defeated then No. 13 ranked Boise State by a score of 30-28 on Oct. 29 and defeated the then No. 24 ranked San Diego State Aztecs, in the regular-season meeting between the two teams, by a score of 34-33 on Nov. 19.
This will be Wyoming’s 14th bowl appearance and first appearance in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The Cowboys have an overall bowl record of 6-7 and last appeared in a bowl game in 2011.
The Cowboys did play in two Holiday Bowls in San Diego back in 1987 and 1988 as champions of the Western Athletic Conference.
Tickets to the 2016 San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl are available now. Fans are encouraged to purchase through the WYO Athletics ticket office to support UW and sit in the UW section.
Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at GoWyo.com/tickets, in person at the WYO Athletics Ticket Office, by calling 307-766-7220 or email at tickets@uwyo.edu. The priority seating deadline is Dec. 12 at noon.
All game ticket holders receive free access to Dexcom WinterFest before the game and a code that unlocks discounts at over 100 local San Diego restaurants and attractions.
Travel options are available through the official travel partner of Wyoming Athletics, New Horizons Travel.
Call 970-223-7400 for details and package information.
Those planning your own travel, please be aware that LAX and John Wayne airports may provide cost-effective alternatives to flying direct to San Diego.
A great week of events is planned leading up to the game on Wednesday:
Monday
· Gaslamp March featuring Western Thunder Marching Band, Pistol Pete and UW Spirit Squads. 6 p.m., Horton Plaza Park Amphitheater, Free for all fans
Tuesday
· Luncheon on the USS Midway (purchase tickets through bowl website: http://www.sandiegobowlgames.com/)
· UW Alumni Gathering: Harbor House, 831 W. Harbor, San Diego; 6 p.m., all fans are welcome, cash bar
Wednesday
Official Wyoming Tailgate at Qualcomm Stadium, starting at 2:30 p.m. PST
Includes premium all-American tailgate buffet, three drink tickets for water, soda, Coors Light or Bud Light plus access to the Brown & Gold Outlet Retail Location. The event features appearances from Western Thunder Marching Band, Pistol Pete, and UW Cheerleaders
Order Tailgate tickets in advance Adults ($35), Kids under 21 ($20) until December 12th (by mail) or Dec. 16 (online). Day of game Tailgate Tickets are limited availability and cost $45.
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