On Valentine's Day, Wyoming and Colorado State will square off in the latest chapter of their basketball "border war."  According to a CSU historian, drunk and unruly Wyoming fans are responsible for the longstanding hostility between the two universities.

It all started on Thanksgiving Day, 1899, when the Colorado Agricultural College Aggies and Wyoming played their first football game in Laramie.

In those days, there were two referees; one representing each team.

Several Fort Collins newspapers reported that belligerent Wyoming fans verbally abused and even threatened to kill the Aggies' appointed referee Edward House.

The controversy escalated in the final minutes when House called a penalty against Wyoming. Wyoming's appointed referee E.D. McArthur overruled the call and the two officials began to argue.

As House and McArther continued to quarrel, a mob of angry fans stormed onto the field and, allegedly, struck an Aggies player in the head with a cane.

Eventually, the game was called off, with both sides declaring victory.

Following the game, the newly named "Border War" escalated in the press.

After The Laramie Republic newspaper took Wyoming's side in an editorial, Colorado Agricultural College President Barton Aylesworth insisted that the two schools would not play again until he received a public apology from Unversity of Wyoming President Elmer Smiley.

To this day, Colorado State does not officially recognize the game. Meanwhile, it's listed as a victory in the Wyoming record books.

Colorado State isn't the only school to accuse Wyoming fans of crossing the line. For years, opponents have complained about vulgarity and drunkenness during football games at War Memorial Stadium.

Wyoming fans have also been criticized for their behavior towards former conference rival Brigham Young University, especially during basketball games at the old War Memorial Fieldhouse.

As recently as 2013, Wyoming basketball fans were admonished for deriding Colorado State head coach Larry Eustachy with chants of "Alcoholic". Prior to joining CSU, Eustachy had been fired from Iowa State after he was seen drinking with students.

 

 

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