Law enforcement agencies across Wyoming and Colorado are preparing to ramp up patrols and increase sobriety checks for drivers traveling to and from the highly anticipated “Border War” football game between the University of Wyoming (UW) Cowboys and Colorado State University (CSU) Rams on Friday.
This annual clash, marking its 116th matchup, will draw more than 32,000 fans to CSU’s Canvas Stadium, kicking off at 6 p.m.
Local and state authorities, including the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Wyoming’s Albany and Laramie County Sheriff’s Offices, UW Police Department, Colorado’s Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Collins Police Department, CSU Police, and the Colorado State Patrol, will collaborate in a multi-agency operation to watch for impaired driving and promote road safety.
In Wyoming alone, 38% of highway fatalities in 2023 were related to impaired driving, a figure Wyoming Highway Patrol Col. Tim Cameron wants to see reduced significantly.
“We want that percentage to be zero… Know that if you do choose to drive impaired, law enforcement will have zero tolerance for your behavior,” Cameron stated.
The initiative reflects a larger effort to curb traffic incidents as both states experience an uptick in highway fatalities. Wyoming has seen 91 fatalities so far this year, with impaired driving linked to a significant proportion. Fans are also encouraged to participate in safety efforts by reporting suspected impaired drivers through Wyoming’s REDDI hotline at (800) 442-9090.
Adding a unique twist to the Border War, the University of Wyoming Art Museum and CSU’s Gregory Allicar Museum of Art have placed a friendly wager on the game. The victorious university’s museum will host a selected piece from its rival’s collection until the end of the school year in May.
If CSU triumphs, they’ll display UW’s “Pale Horse,” a 1991 painting by Beth Van Hoesen. Should Wyoming prevail, CSU will loan Roxanne Swentzell’s 1994 sculpture “Mask Maker” to the University of Wyoming Art Museum. Museum directors from both universities will visit each other’s institutions on Monday to complete the art exchange, celebrating a collaboration that goes beyond game-day rivalry.
“There really isn’t a loser here. But still, go Rams!” said Lynn Boland, director of the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art.
“Our audiences will miss seeing a signature piece at the losing museum, so let’s go Pokes!” added Nicole Crawford, UW’s Art Museum director.
Oil City News and 9News contributed to this report.
