Wyoming: Hawaii without a beach

Redwood Forrest · Mar 17, 2016

"A lot of the Texas guys come up here and can't cut it off the field. And honestly, it's no surprise if you've never been to a place like this," Stevens says.

He's referring to college football recruits, the sole resource that energy-rich Wyoming will likely forever be scant on. It's the 10th-largest state in the nation by area, but 50th by population, giving it the smallest marketing opportunity of any FBS program.

At tailgates dotted around War Memorial before Saturday's game, the consensus was simple, albeit depressing: you have to win to attract good players, and you have to have good players to win.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...wyoming-football-2016-preview-schedule-roster

I remember Pat Dye having a winning season there and I remember Wyoming playing in the Sugar Bowl once, losing to LSU, I think. The only thing Wyoming has going for it is ...... well, I can't think of anything. I thought coaching at Vanderbilt and Iowa St was tough but after reading the disadvantages of Hawaii and Wyoming I think these are even tougher.

Here is another place geographically challenged. I enjoy reading these types of articles that delve into more than just players and coaches. UNLV preview:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...02/unlv-football-2016-preview-schedule-roster

B1GTide · Mar 17, 2016

Wyoming is beautiful, but I wouldn't play for Nick Saban if he coached there. Winters are long and brutal. I guess that some kids are willing to deal with that sort of thing though - look at the Bison.

Padreruf · Mar 17, 2016

Pat Dye resigned at Wyoming before the AU deal was sealed...he said he knew he wasn't going back for another winter! Before saying they cannot win, we have to look at Boise State...anything is possible.

Redwood Forrest · Mar 17, 2016

B1GTide said:
Wyoming is beautiful, but I wouldn't play for Nick Saban if he coached there. Winters are long and brutal. I guess that some kids are willing to deal with that sort of thing though - look at the Bison.

Can you imagine the anti-recruiting going on in the MWC? Fresno, San Diego, and San Jose are all "on the beach", so to speak. Poor Wyoming is in the division with three California schools and Hawaii. It appears a two day drive from Wyoming to the beach. Spring Break for the Wyoming students would be mountain climbing or really expensive travel.

BamaFlum · Mar 17, 2016

Visited Yellowstone last summer. Wyoming is a gorgeous. People were friendly. But man is is big and sparsely populated!

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KentuckianaBFan · Mar 17, 2016

I was stationed at F. E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne 40 years ago...one of the few ** bases with no runway (missile base)...worked on two T-29s at the municipal airport...hunting, fishing, and camping are great, and Denver is only 90 miles away, down I-25.

CB4 · Mar 17, 2016

I had a relative that lived in Wyoming. He had a tumbleweed for a pet instead of a dog. Well...let me rephrase that. He had a dog, but it let after one winter.

TIDE-HSV · Mar 17, 2016

Well, TBF, I could take WY a lot better than west TX. There are a lot more real, beautiful mountains there. WY is so short on people that they play six on six HS football. We made the mistake once of spending a Saturday night in Riverton before taking off on a backpack into the Wind Rivers and they beat their arch-rival Lander, the next little town downriver. There being nowhere to go, they celebrated by driving up and down the single main street, raising hell, until the wee hours...

theballguy · Mar 17, 2016

B1GTide said:
Wyoming is beautiful, but I wouldn't play for Nick Saban if he coached there. Winters are long and brutal. I guess that some kids are willing to deal with that sort of thing though - look at the Bison.

Winters are not bad there actually (same here with Colorado - we just keep it a secret ;-) ). Much better than winters in the NE (and quite possibly Cleveland ;-) ). The problem is population and isolation. I think the OP said it best. You have to win to get the players and you have to have the players to win. Like Alabama (and other big programs in Div I), the Bison is a well-oiled machine.

B1GTide · Mar 17, 2016

theballguy said:
Winters are not bad there actually (same here with Colorado - we just keep it a secret ;-) ). Much better than winters in the NE (and quite possibly Cleveland ;-) ). The problem is population and isolation. I think the OP said it best. You have to win to get the players and you have to have the players to win. Like Alabama (and other big programs in Div I), the Bison is a well-oiled machine.

You have to define "not bad". I consider winters in the Midwest to be brutal. I plan on retiring in the South. I hate the cold and love the heat.

selmaborntidefan · Mar 17, 2016

Padreruf said:
Pat Dye resigned at Wyoming before the AU deal was sealed...he said he knew he wasn't going back for another winter! Before saying they cannot win, we have to look at Boise State...anything is possible.

This is correct. In fact, Wyoming told Dye to withdraw from the Auburn coaching search or resign, and he resigned despite not knowing for sure he had the job.

That's how bad he wanted out of there.

And for those who don't recall that coaching search, the #1 pick they wanted was UGA Coach Vince Dooley, who was busy getting UGA ready for their national title game.

TiderJack · Mar 17, 2016

Padreruf said:
Pat Dye resigned at Wyoming before the AU deal was sealed...he said he knew he wasn't going back for another winter! Before saying they cannot win, we have to look at Boise State...anything is possible.

You make a good point about Boise but Boise actually has a lot more to offer than some think and Wyoming. Student enrollment at Boise is 22,000 and Wyoming is 13,000. Laramie population is 32,000 and Boise is 216,000 so a lot more to do in Boise which is going to attract better players. Boise's rise over the past couple of decades has been remarkable but don't see Wyoming ever getting on the same path.

Go Bama · Mar 17, 2016

I'll take Wyoming over the beach anytime. It's one of my favorite places. However, I have been stranded in Rawlings, WY in the middle of May due to a snow storm. It was bad enough that I-80 was closed. We were able to leave the next morning. My wife and I spent the night in the worst motel I've ever been in because it was the only room we could find. Seemed like a hooker hotel for truckers.

A company in Missoula, MT contacted me a few years back about coming there to work. They purchased airfare for my family and I to come out for 3 days for and interview and to allow us to check out the area. I didn't get the job because it was offered to a girl who already had a Montana license and it was going to be 5 months before I could get a license. The owner told me they work hard in the summer so that they can play in the winter. According to him, the people there love snow skiing, snow mobiling, hunting and other winter sports. He claimed they spend more time outside in the winter than in the summer.

Some of these universities must feel compelled to have football teams. If it's not beneficial for the school, they should drop it.

KentuckianaBFan · Mar 17, 2016

B1GTide said:
You have to define "not bad". I consider winters in the Midwest to be brutal. I plan on retiring in the South. I hate the cold and love the heat.

I would take the 18 months in Cheyenne (and 2 yrs in Maine) over 6 months in Grand Forks, ND any time...

davefrat · Mar 17, 2016

they need to drop down to fcs.

bamachile · Mar 17, 2016

Redwood Forrest · Mar 18, 2016

davefrat said:
they need to drop down to fcs.

As for ever making a name in FBS I think half them should move to FCS.

But if they are not losing money then good for them if they want to associate with the big boys. If you have the NFL as a goal you are not going to Hawaii or Wyoming anyway.

Ole Man Dan · Mar 18, 2016

Wyoming is a beautiful state.
They may also have nearly as many Red Necks as the state of Alabama. (That's a plus for some of us)
I love the people up there.
I love it up there in the Summer. Winters are unbelievably rough. Not for me.
When it snowed on me for 10 days in the middle of June... I came back to Alabama.

In the nasty Winters they have great outdoor opportunities if you can stand it.
Great Hunting, Skiing, Snowmobiling in the Winter.
Summer... Great Trout fishing.
FOOTBALL... NOT SO MUCH.

Tideflyer · Mar 18, 2016

B1GTide said:
You have to define "not bad". I consider winters in the Midwest to be brutal. I plan on retiring in the South. I hate the cold and love the heat.

There`s a reason people don`t retire north.

Tideflyer · Mar 18, 2016

KentuckianaBFan said:
I would take the 18 months in Cheyenne (and 2 yrs in Maine) over 6 months in Grand Forks, ND any time...

I swear, somebody must make those poor people live up there (goes for places like Buffalo, NY as well). It`s always been incomprehensible to me why anyone would do it voluntarily. The cold in those places is physically painful. I will also never live in a place where the wind has a name ( Chicago, " The Hawk" ).

Wyoming: Hawaii without a beach

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