LARAMIE –  For the third consecutive season the Wyoming Cowboys will be playing in a bowl game, which is the first time that has happened in Wyoming school history. The Cowboys have accepted an invitation to the 2023 Bartstool Sports Arizona Bowl, marking the second consecutive year the Pokes will play in Tucson and the third time in the past five seasons. Wyoming will face the University of Toledo Rockets in this year’s Arizona Bowl.

The 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl will kick off on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2:30 p.m., Mountain Time in Tucson, Ariz. Wyoming will bring an 8-4 overall record and a 5-3 Mountain West Conference record into the game. Toledo finished its season with an 11-2 overall mark and an 8-0 record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

“We are excited about going back to Tucson and playing an excellent University of Toledo football team,” said University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman. “If this Cowboy team can get a ninth win, that would be a fantastic accomplishment.”

About the Matchup

On way to its 8-4 overall record and 5-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference, Wyoming defeated two Top 25 teams ranked this season in Texas Tech and Fresno State, posted a perfect 7-0 home record and set a new single-season home attendance record.

In addition to making its third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time in school history, the Cowboys are making their sixth bowl appearance in the last eight seasons (2016, ‘17, ‘19, ‘21, ‘22 and ‘23), which is also a school best. UW also won three consecutive bowl game appearances (2017, ‘19 and ‘21) during the time Craig Bohl has been head coach of the Cowboys.

Toledo finished the season with an 11-2 overall mark and were 8-0 in the MAC in the regular season to capture the MAC West Division title. The Rockets lost to Miami (Ohio) by a score of 23-14 in the MAC Championship Game on Saturday.

Wyoming and Toledo have played each other twice before, with the road team winning each game. Wyoming won 20-15 on Oct. 2, 2010, in Toledo, and Toledo won 34-31 on Sept. 8, 2012, in Laramie.

This will be the Cowboys’s third appearance in the Arizona Bowl. Wyoming defeated Georgia State, 38-17, in the 2019 Arizona Bowl and lost a thrilling 27-30 overtime game to Ohio in last year’s game.

 Season A Memorable One

From the opening game of the 2023 season, the Wyoming Cowboys have created many memorable moments. Among those moments experienced by the Cowboys and their fans were:

• Battling eventual College Football Playoff No. 3 seed Texas to a 10-10 tie entering the fourth quarter in Austin,Texas.

• Winning eight games against a 2023 schedule that featured seven bowl-eligible teams. Wyoming posted a 3-4 record against the seven bowl-eligible teams on its schedule.

• Achieving a perfect 7-0 home record, marking the first time in school history that the Cowboys won seven home games in a single season.